"STAND STRONG FOR WHO YOU ARE."

                                           "STAND STRONG FOR WHO YOU ARE"

An Australian Aborigine, Vincent Namatjira, 37, has made history! He is the first Aboriginal artist to win the 99 year-old Archibald Prize for portraiture in Australia.

Every year, the prize, established by J. F. Archibald and first awarded in 1921, is given to the best portrait of a man or woman distinguished  in art, letters, science or politics painted by any artist resident in Australasia. Archibald's aim was "to foster portraiture as well as support artists and perpetuate the memory of great Australians." 

This year, there were "a record 1,068 submissions." Namatjira's entry, titled: "Stand strong for who you are"  was chosen by the Art Gallery of New South Wales board of trustees.   

Vincent Namatjira is the great grandson of the celebrated artist Albert Namatjira. Albert was  born July 1902 in Central Australia and became the most famous indigenous Australian of his generation. He was "noted for his watercolor landscapes of desertlike central Auistralia."

Vincent's painting was of himself and co-subject Adam Goodes. Goodes is described as "A champion Aboriginal Rules footballer." He, however, rertired from Australian Rules football in 2015 "following persistent racial abuse from fans during games."  Films about Goodes experience have started "public conversations about racism in Australia," In an interview with Hardtalk's Stephen Sackur,  Goodes said he had to get away from the "toxic environment" and reassess his priorities.

Gallery Director Michael Brand commented "Vincent's work shows how much porttrait painting still has to say and what strong voices our indigenous artists have."

A BBC report states that Vincent Namatjira lives and works in a remote Aboriiginal community in Central Australia.

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