About Elizabeth Marks Nakamarra

Elizabeth (c1959) was born at Walungurru, the daughter of Frank Tjupurrula and Mary Napanangka. Her father died when she was a baby and she was raised by her stepfather Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula and uncle Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula, both esteemed artists of the Papunya Tula art movement. Her husband Mick Namerari Tjapaltjarri (deceased) was also a key artist of the Papunya Tula movement. They had three children - Angelina, Peter and Farren. Elizabeth studied for three years at the Bachelor College in Alice Springs and served two years as a council member in Kintore, where she worked assiduously assisting her community members. Her languages from her father’s side are Pintupi, Luritja and, from her mother’s side, Warlpiri. She was one of the later generation of women artists to join Papunya Tula Artists. Based in Kintore and Kiwirrkura, this Aboriginal owned and operated co-operative, was where she painted in her own right in 1998 after her husband died. Her works are based on her father’s (Tjupurrula) stories from the area of Kalipinya, located approximately 400km west of Alice Springs and north of Sandy Blight Junction. They revolve around the creation time - the time before man walked the earth, when a huge storm caused lightning to flash and the water torrent formed the landscape creating rock holes and creeks, incorporating elements of the storm, lightening, flash flooding, important rock holes, soaks and creeks.