Albert Namitjira

Artist:

"Albert Namitjira was the first indigenous artist to paint and exhibit professionally in Western style. He painted his country and was both prodigious and successful, producing approximately two thousand pictures and founding a school of painting that continues today."  http://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/namatjira-albert.html 

Albert's work really highlights the rugged beauty of the Australian outback while also depicting many native trees and plants with detail. He highlights these details throughout his paintings by skillfully using high contrast in shadowed and detailed areas. This involves the use of black, rather than dark browns, or darker hues of the same colour. 

The Queen herself was actually a fan of Albert Namitjira and in the 1950's he actually became and Australian citizen, something which was very rare in that period of time. However this meant that he no longer had the right to be an Aboriginal person.

Australia Post's stamp design in the commemoration of the centenary of the birth of Albert Namitjira;