About
Highly decorated Aboriginal Australian painter whose record-breaking win of the Archibald Prize in 2020 made him the first-ever Aboriginal person to have received the honor. His celebrated portraits have depicted renowned figures from Australia's culture and history, including trailblazing explorer Captain James Cook, rock singer Archie Roach, Australian-rules football player Nicky Winmar, and boxer Lionel Rose. His work has been exhibited at Art Basel, the Melbourne Art Fair, and Art16 London, and numerous other fairs and galleries around the world.
Before Fame
After beginning his career as an artist in 2012, he has shifted from traditional dot paintings to portraits. One of his earliest portrait series included 7 installments, each of which featured one of Australia's prime ministers since his birth in 1983, including Paul Keating, Kevin Rudd, and Julia Gillard. The series, titled "Endless Circulation," served as his entry for the 2016 TarraWarra Biennial exhibition.
Trivia
His 2016 portrait series depicted Australia's 7 wealthiest citizens at the time, including Gina Rinehart, Frank Lowy, and James Packer. In addition to the Medal of the Order of Australia, which he received at the Australian 2020 Birthday Honours for Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to the Indigenous visual arts, he has also been the recipient of honors such as the Ramsay Art Prize in 2019 and the title of South Australian Artist of the Year from the SALIFE Absolute Best Awards in the year 2023.
Family Life
Renowned Arrente watercolor painter Albert Namatjira is his great-grandfather. He and his sister were sent to foster care at a young age after the death of their mother in 1991. He and his wife Natasha met during his travels through the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, and later relocated to the Aboriginal community of Kanpi in Southern Australia.
Associated With
Entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch and activist Eddie Mabo were some of the subjects featured in his 2019 portrait series titled "Australia in Black and White." The following year, his portrait of Australian-rules football player and activist Adam Goodes became the winner of the Archibald Prize.
