Marlene Young

Marlene Young Nungurrayi is a Pintupi woman, born at Papunya in 1971, in the Central and Western Desert. Her family moved frequently during her childhood, living in Warburton, Patjarr, Wiluna, Leonora, Docker River, and eventually returning to Kintore. Her father, Tommy Lowry Tjapaltjarri (1940-1987), was a founding member of the Papunya Tula collective, and her adopted father was the renowned artist Dr. George Tjapaltjarri. Marlene’s mother, Janie Ward Nakamarra (b. 1946), is from Kulkutja near Tjukurla in the
Northern Territory. She is also connected to notable artists like Katarra Butler Napaltjarri, Kim Butler Napurrula, and Yinarupa Gibson Nangala, forming part of a strong artistic lineage. Marlene began painting in the early 2000s, focusing on the Women’s Tingari narratives from her mother’s country of Kalkurr in the Western Desert. Her works depict the Minyma Tjukurrpa (Women’s Creation stories), specifically the journeys of the Kungka Kutjara (Two Women), who travelled the desert to the sacred site of Munni Munni. These stories, passed down from her mother, are central to women’s ceremonies and the body paint designs associated with them.

Marlene’s distinctive use of thick, layered paint reflects the significance of these Dreamings. Her paintings explore the spiritual journeys of women, transmitting cultural knowledge and ceremonial practices.

Her works have been exhibited widely across Australia and are held in collections both locally and internationally. Marlene was married to the late Adrian Young Tjupurrula, a fellow painter, and they lived in Tjukurla. She has a daughter, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren in Warnan and Tjukurla.