Vincent Namatjira

It's just a good Country out there and it's peaceful and quiet, it's wonderful - it's good to paint in this community, this art centre

It sort of like puts me in my own comfort zone

When I paint on Country it reminds me of my great grandfather Albert Namatjira

And back in his days when he used to go out with his friend, Rex Battarbee, and they'd do paintings

It's like I am taking his place and walking in his shoes and I am enjoying it

The ideas come from my family life, my heritage, my culture - painting for me comes from there, and also came from the old man, Albert Namatjira

He's number one key role model for me

I just like painting people, pretty much, portraits, I very much like painting myself

The reason why I paint politician is just by foster care really, growing up in the foster society

When tragedy strikes when I was aged six, and taken away and then raised in Perth city, it was a long way from home

I was just taken away by strangers

I lost connection with family, Country and culture

That was a bit hard

That's why I paint the politicians and people with tuxedos and suits, that's what the politician was to me and my sister - we raise you until you're 18, you can go back to family, pushed out the door and sent back on a plane to Alice Springs

They don't apologise at all

We never got a 'see you' or 'good bye' or 'take care', that kind of thing

I was just a normal person, but when I touch the paint brush, that sort of gave me some sort of power

I painted some Indigenous role models as well, some are activists, musicians, athletes

It's just like painting Aboriginal people for Australia and sending out to the rest of the world to see what Aboriginal can do in this Country and the reason why I painted Albert Namatjira is he's an Australian icon and painting him makes him like he's in me when I paint

I can feel him, feel his presence, yeah he's with me always

Like I want to repeat what Albert went through and push it further and break boundaries also

That's what I am hoping, I'm hoping the next generation will pick up where I left off

Especially my three wonderful daughters, they can take over maybe

Maybe I can tell my grandkids or great-grandkids that they can paint Country too