Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges), NT

$2,600.00

Albert Namatjira travelled all around the centre of Australia on camels to find the right spots to paint. I follow in his steps. I’ve seen Albert Namatjira’s paintings printed onto postage stamps. I think it looks good. I like seeing an Aboriginal person’s work on a postage stamp in the post office. In these pictures, I get to see my own paintings on postage stamps.

Mervyn was born at the Telegraph Station in Mparntwe (Alice Springs). His mother Cynthia (Kamara) Obitja was a Western Aranda woman. His father was Wenten Rubuntja Pengarte, a famous artist. Mervyn’s father was an important role model for him. He was a senior lawman and fought for Aboriginal rights and protection of the land, working alongside the Central Land Council and assisting in the Mabo agreement.

When Mervyn was 13 years old, his family moved to Ntaria (Hermannsburg), where he first saw watercolour paintings as he watched his uncles Maurice, Oscar, and Keith painting like their father Albert Namatjira. Arnulf Ebatarinja, another uncle, kindled Mervyn’s painting talent when he gave him some watercolour paperboard and taught him to paint.

Mervyn’s family moved back to Mparntwe in 1975, and he began to paint with Basil Rantji, who taught him how to mix colours. In 2018, Mervyn’s artwork was featured in the Badu Gili projection onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House, showcasing his talent and heritage to a wide audience. In 2021Mervyn won the NATSIAA Awards in Darwin (3D category) in a collaborative work with artist Hubert Pareroultja.