Marie has created a series of paintings about her grandmother’s journeys through the central Australian desert regions; the spiritual and physical journeys translated into contemporary images based on traditional Aboriginal iconography. Her grandmother travelled with cameleers, riding camels with them. She assisted them with local knowledge of tracks, water holes, food sources and cooking. These and other desert survival skills were essential for the lengthy and difficult journeys, transporting supplies and goods on camels through the desert regions. The treks took her from Tempe to Areyonga and Hermannsburg to Jay Creek.

Marie Napurrulla Biography

Marie was born in NSW. Her mother and grandmother were both forcibly removed from their birth parents and are now known as ‘Stolen Generation’. Their ancestors are from Central Australia. Marie became determined to explore her Aboriginal ancestry as a young woman. This quest brought her back to Central Australia. There she made connections with relations and kin in the region, and gained more familiarity with her grandmother’s story, which inspired her.

Marie lived in Alice Springs for a number of years and then moved to Darwin in 2019. She is the mother of eight children and is now a grandmother herself. She now works at Songlines to promote and support First Nations artists.