Lenie is Albert Namatjira’s granddaughter, daughter to Albert Namatjira’s second son Oscar Namatjira. He was born out bush in 1922 when Albert was 20 years old. After an absence form Hermannsburg to attend mission school and complete three years service in the Army Labor gang, Oscar returned to his family at 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 paint from his father and became skilled practitioner in his own right.
Oscar raised a large family, with Lenie being one of ten children. Lenie and her siblings (Euphrene, Reginald, Saleen, Wallace, Albert Jnr, Marcia, Donald, Rosabelle and Bessie) were all raised at Hermannsburg. Lenie paints in the tradition of her father and grandfather. Her watercolour paintings focus on the landscape west of Hermannsburg, particularly of country around Kulpitjarra, where she sometimes lives with her son Theo and his wife, when she is not living at Hermansburg or Alice Springs. Many of her paintings are drawn from childhood memories of her country.
Lenie Namatjira’s paintings capture a sense of windswept country. Her alternation of small suggestive details – such as tree trunks and branches – within broad sweeps of washy colour that capture a syncopation of light and shade, create lively landscapes with expressive power.
Lenie is also known by her married name ‘Lankin’ and in the past has spelt her name Lennie, with a double ‘n’.
During 2012 and 2013 Lenie has toured with the Namatjira play including a sellout 3 days in London. She presented the Queen with one of her paintings.
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