Lenie was born in 1951 in Raggats Well, Glen Helen Station. Lenie is Albert Namatjira’s granddaughter, daughter to Oscar Namatjira. After an absence from Hermannsburg to attend the mission school and complete three years of service in the Army Labor gang, Oscar returned to his family at the Hermannsburg Mission and took up painting like his father. For a period of twelve months Oscar became Albert’s truck driver, driving Albert and his supplies to different painting locations. Oscar learnt how to paint from his father and became a skilled practitioner in his own right. Oscar raised a large family, Lenie being one of ten children. Lenie and her siblings (Euphrene, Reginald, Saleen, Wallace, Albert Jnr, Marcia, Donald, Rosabelle, Gwenda and Bessie) were all raised at Hermannsburg.

Lenie painted in the tradition of his father and grandfather. Her watercolour paintings focus on the landscape west of Hermannsburg. Many of her paintings are drawn from childhood memories of her country.

Lenie deceased in October 2017.

Lenie is part of the art centre Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre.

 

>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SELECTION OF ARTWORKS

 

Collections et prix / Collections and awards

  • Queensland Art Gallery│Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane
  • University of Technology Gallery (UTS), Sydney
  • National Museum of Australia (NMA), Canberra
  • National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
  • Art gallery of South Australia
  • Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
  • Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra
  • Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), Sydney
  • National Gallery of Australia (NGA), Canberra

Projet spéciaux / Special projects

  • 2017  Invitée d’honneur du National Museum of Australia, Canberra ; vernissage / NMA Honorary Guest and exhibition launch, Canberra
  • 2016  Parrtjima, Festival of Light, Alice Springs (illuminated skirt)
  • 2016  Mt. Sonder, The Sleeping Lady, finaliste de la 33e édition des Telstra Arts Awards /  Mt. Sonder, The Sleeping Lady, finalist at the 33rd Telstra Arts Awards, Darwin
  • 2015  Invitée d’honneur d’un atelier sur la gravure / Print workshop Honorary Guest, Australian National University (ANU), Canberra
  • 2014  Knara Nunaka Tjurretja – Our Big Country: The West MacDonnell Ranges, distinction honorifique aux 31e Telstra Arts Awards / highly commended at the 31st Telstra Arts Awards, Darwin
  • 2014  Public Art, fresque d’Alice Plaza, Alice Springs / Public Art, mural at the Alice Plaza, Alice Springs
  • 2011 – 2014 The Namatjira Play, pièce produite par Big hArt / The Namatjira Play, Big hArt production

Expositions, florilège / Selected exhibitions

  • 2021  Painting Now – Peindre aujourd’hui en terres aborigènes, IDAIA, Le Havre, France
  • 2017  Tjuritja Nana Mara to Paris / From the good Tjuritja (West MacDonnell Ranges) to Paris, IDAIA, Paris, France
  • 2017 What if this photograph is by Albert Namatjira? TARNANTHI, Art Gallery of SA (AGSA), Adelaide
  • 2016  Lingiari awards exhibition, Tangentyere gallery, Alice Springs
  • 2014  Namatjira to Now, Parliament House, Canberra
  • 2014 Five Generations: The Strength of Namatjira’s Legacy, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs
  • 2013  Living Watercolours, Southbank Centre, Londres / London
  • 2012  Douglas Abbott and Lenie Namatjira, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
  • 2010  Telstra Art award finalist
  • 2007  Advocate Art Award, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs

 

Image: Lenie and Kevin Namatjira with Prince Charles in London in 2013 – Courtesy Big hART – Photo by Arthur Edwards.