William Mckinnon
We’re excited to share that William Mackinnon’s solo exhibition ‘Pheonix’ will be presented at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, opening this Saturday 21st February.
This exhibition reflects the artist’s experiences living and working with Aboriginal communities in the Western Desert and Kimberley regions. As a field officer with Papunya Tula Artists in 2008-2009, Mackinnon witnessed both the extraordinary beauty of Aboriginal Country and the complex realities of remote community life, where isolation and hardship are balanced with cultural vitality and humour.
Presented with permission from Papunya Tula Artists, these paintings represent the artist’s reckoning with his experiences of that time, an empathetic meditation on beauty and survival.
‘Pheonix’ will be on display the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory from 21 February to 24 May 2026.
Pictured: William Mackinnon, Crossroads, 2019, synthetic polymer paint, oil, automotive enamel, glitter on linen, 200 x 300 cm, National Gallery of Australia Collection
Image: Nadine Christensen, Untitled (Interior), 2014, acrylic on board, 120 x 150 cm.
Congratulations to William Mckinnon and Nadine Christensen, who have been selected as finalists in the 2015 Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize! The exhibition is on at Bendigo Art Gallery from August 29 – November 1 2015. An acquisitive cash prize of $50,000 will be awarded to the artist by a section panel of independent judges.
For more information visit www.bendigoartgallery.com.

Image: William McKinnon, The great indoors, 2015, oil and automotive enamel on synthetic linen, 190 x 240 cm.