ABC News Spotlights Vincent Namatjira’s ‘King Dingo’ with Eric Barney

3 Sep 2024

ABC journalist Miriam Corowa recently visited Ames Yavuz Gallery to meet Vincent Namatjira and Eric Barney, celebrating their new bodies of work in Namatjira’s exhibition, King Dingo. The exhibition explores themes of leadership, cultural identity, and Aboriginal resilience.

For Archibald Prize winner Vincent Namatjira, painting dingoes in royal attire — with capes and crowns — serves as a form of self-portraiture. “It’s like I’m looking at a reflection of myself, as well through my career, as an artist in Australia,” he explains. “The dingo represents strength, resilience and pride, and is courageous, and is also wild.” Utilising the dingo to challenge colonial power structures and redefine Aboriginal identity and leadership.

King Dingo feature collaborative works by Eric Barney and Alec Baker, two senior artists from Indulkana. Their series, Ngura (Country), features vibrant dot paintings that celebrate their ancestral lands, with depictions of waterholes, mountains, and trees. Barney shares, “Me and Alec, we paint together. I make the waterhole, all the trees, the colours too,” with Namatjira translating their cultural meaning.

Namatjira’s work often blends humour and irony to critique power, as seen in his paintings of King Dingo saluting or sitting on a throne in the desert. This show highlights his ability to merge traditional and contemporary elements, creating a powerful commentary on Aboriginal pride and resilience.

King Dingo brings together Namatjira’s and Barney’s distinctive styles, showcasing a vibrant mix of traditional and modern Indigenous art. The exhibition, which has garnered international attention, is on view at Ames Yavuz Gallery in Sydney until 5 October 2024.

Image: Installation view of King Dingo, Ames Yavuz, Sydney, 2024.Photographed by Felipe Olivares Barreto. Courtesy of the artists and Iwantja Arts.