Prime Ministers / Tjilpi

NON-SELLING EXHIBITION

“I started painting portraits because I’m interested in people, and power, wealth and politics. For me, portraiture is a way of putting myself in someone else’s shoes as well as to share with the viewer what it might be like to be in my shoes. I use portraiture to look at my identity and my family history. It’s also a way for me to look at the history of this country, to ask who has the power, and why?”

Taking a moment to put ourselves in Vincent Namatjira’s shoes we see him playfully and boldly blend personal reflection with political commentary in his exploration of Australian colonial history and power dynamics. His vivid part portraits, part caricatures, amplify the features and flaws of the rich, powerful and personally familiar - drawing attention to the contrast between public perception and lived experience. This approach has positioned Namatjira as one of the most important voices in Australian contemporary art. He won the 2019 Ramsay Art Prize, received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the arts, and became the first Indigenous artist to win the Archibald Prize in 2020.

Here we see his 2016 series The Prime Ministers, documenting the seven leaders who governed the country since the artist’s birth to the time of painting: Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. Each is painted with sharp wit, their postures and expressions exaggerated, their personas reimagined in narrative scenes that critique their legacy and disconnect from Vincent’s world. 

His portraits, especially when viewed side by side—Prime Ministers facing Tjilpi—subvert the colonial gaze. They question who gets remembered, who gets revered, and who holds real power.“I was just a normal person, but when I touch the paintbrush, that sort of gave me some sort of power.”

Now, the Prime Ministers and Tjilpi get the opportunity to meet eye to eye in a tin shed gallery in Mparntwe, two weeks after a federal election. What will they have to say to each other?

Exhibition runs until June 14th.