Ngarrindjeri artist Amanda Westley woke up this morning to surprising news — one of her paintings was gifted to Pope Leo XIV by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when the pair met for their first private meeting at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on Monday.
Westley, whose artwork represents “country” and the “spiritual and cultural connection” Aboriginal people have to land, posted a short video to her Instagram followers revealing she had “no idea” her painting would be selected as a gift to the new Pope.
“My phone is blowing up and my emails, it’s insane,” she began. “I had no idea this was happening.”
The 40-year old South Australian native admitted that she had initially believed the news had been “AI generated or a joke”.
“I am super excited,” she said. “I think it hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m extremely proud, but I’m really proud for Ngarrindjeri. It could have been any art from anywhere in Australia, and it’s Ngarrindjeri art that was given as a gift and that makes me really proud.”
The artwork, titled “Raukkan (Meeting Place) was priced by one South Australian gallery at $1,120.
The mother of two was born in Victor Harbour in 1985 and went to boarding school in Adelaide before moving to Queensland to work in hospitality. She and her family returned to South Australia seven years ago to focus on her art. Several of her works use bright colours to depict her costal country hometown of Victor Harbour and the ocean.
In an interview with a local magazine Fleurieu last year, Westley revealed that she has been painting from a very young age.
“I have always enjoyed painting and the calm that it brings,” she said. “My family is one of the oldest Aboriginal families here on the south coast so this land I call home has been part of my family for a very long time and by creating these paintings I am acknowledging the important connection my family have with this land.”
Westley has accumulated a long list of exhibitions and commissions, as well as collaborations with private groups for merchandising purposes.
Image Credit: Screenshot from 10 News First footage.
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