The Albert Namatjira Connection

A unique collection of artworks by Albert Namatjira, his immediate and extended family.

8th and 9th October | 10.00 am - 4.00pm

Por2Gal Restaurant
ShopA, 44 Main Street, Hahndorf

Albert Namatjira is best known for his watercolour Australian outback desert landscapes, a style which inspired the Hermannsburg School of Aboriginal art . While his work is the product of his life and experiences, his paintings are not in the highly symbolic style of traditional Aboriginal art; they are richly detailed depictions.

He is also notable for being the first Northern Territory Indigenous Australian to be freed from the restrictions of legislation that made Aborigines wards of the State.

This exhibition is the result of a truly unique family legacy within the Namatjira family. The teachers of Albert Namatjira were John Gardiner and Rex Batterbee. John and Rex met Albert at Hermannsburg Mission. Albert first commenced doing "pokerwork" and carving. Included is the walking stick that Albert carved and decorated for Pastor F.W. Albrecht.

Albert commenced painting on Woomeras, Boomerangs and Artpaper later. The exhibition includes an early example of a woomera. It depicts some Livistonia palms in Palm Valley and is simply signed Albert. To complete the representation of Albert's work there is a painting of a Gumtree and sandstone outcrop from the Palm Valley amphitheatre.

To complement these works we have two Batterbee paintings and two Gardiner paintings.

To demonstrate the family association there are paintings by his sons Ewald, Keith, Oscar, Enos, his tribal brother Walter Ebartarinja and his wife Cordula. There are also paintings by his son in law Benjamin Landara (married to his daughter Maisie)

To complete the exhibition there is a dot painting by Dawn Bulla and Rosalind Ebartarinja (daugther of Walter and Cordula) measuring 4.1 metre x 1.3 metre.