SYDNEY.- Sullivan+Strumpf will present By The Grace of God, a powerful First Nations exhibition honouring Albert Namatjira and his enduring legacy, opening at their Gadigal/ Sydney gallery Thursday 17 September 2026.

Named for the biblical quote, once used to frame Namatjira’s identity within a colonial religious narrative, By the Grace of God brings together new works by acclaimed First Nations artist, curator and cultural ambassador, Tony Albert, renowned artists from the Iltja Ntjarra (Many Hands) Art Centre and the Hermannsburg Potters, in a multi-faceted exploration of the layered intersections of faith, cultural identity, history and artistic practice that Namatjira so powerfully embodied.

How fortunate any artist would be to be welcomed into a community such as Ntaria/Hermannsburg. To work alongside Iltja Ntjarra (Many Hands) artists and to sit with the Hermannsburg Potters, to collaborate with the Namatjira family and the Namatjira Trust. For more than twenty years I have returned to this place. Each visit has deepened my understanding of legacy, resilience and generosity.

Through Vincent Namatjira, and the descendants, through the artists continuing the watercolour tradition, Albert Namatjira’s presence remains palpable. It is not fixed in history, but it lives and breathes. The work is both homage and quiet subversion.

The biblical quote, once used to frame his identity within a colonial religious narrative, is reclaimed. It becomes a declaration of survival, authorship and presence. Albert was not simply who he was “by grace.” He was who he was through brilliance, endurance and love. For me, Albert Namatjira is a hero. Not a souvenir. Not a myth. Not a footnote in Australian art history. — Tony Albert, 2026





At the heart of this new exhibition is Tony Albert’s monumental text-based work By the Grace of God, I am What I am, its title drawn from the words spoken at Namatjira's funeral by Pastor F.W. Albrecht on Sunday 9 August 1959. Through this work, Albert reclaims a phrase historically framed within a colonial religious narrative, transforming it into a powerful affirmation of Indigenous resilience, authorship and presence.

Surrounding Albert’s work, new watercolour paintings from renowned Iltja Ntjarra (Many Hands) Art Centre artists including Carita Coulthard, Delray Inkamala, Raelene Inkamala, Mandy Malbunka, Dianne Inkamala, Dellina Inkamala and Vanessa Inkamala, alongside ceramics from the Hermannsburg Potters including works by artists Sammy Ungwanaka, Dennis Ebatarinja and Abel Pareroultja.

Iltja Ntjarra (Many Hands) Art Centre is proudly Aboriginal owned and directed. It is the home of the Namatjira watercolour artists. The art centre has a special focus on supporting the ‘Hermannsburg School’ style watercolour artists, who continue to paint in the tradition of their grandfather and relative, Albert Namatjira, arguably one of Australia’s most famous artists of the 20th century.

The Hermannsburg Potters of Central Australia are a dedicated group of Western Arrarnta artists creating vibrant handmade ceramic pots that encompass collective and individually lived histories in their distinct Country. The Hermannsburg artists continue a 30-year legacy, sculpting and painting their visual histories and contemporary settings, speaking to their cultural beliefs, traditions and values.