Biography

Charlene Napanangka Marshall was born at Alice Springs Hospital in 1990 and grew up in the remote community of Nyirripi. She attended school in Nyirripi and Alice Springs, along with Year 10 at boarding school in Darwin where she remembers making friends with other students from all over the Northern Territory. At the age of 15 she began working at the childcare centre in Nyirripi, and since then regularly works at the school. She and her husband have two children and numerous dogs and cats. 

Charlene grew up watching her aunt Eunice Napangardi, a well-known artist, paint Yuparli (bush banana) dreamings. Since her auntie’s death in 2005, Charlene has been inspired to paint and carry on the tradition within her family. “My kids like my paintings, they like the colours”. Charlene paints Wanakiji Jukurrpa (Bush Tomato Dreaming), Yuparli Dreaming (Bush Banana Dreaming), and Karnta Jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming).

In her spare time Charlene like to keep the house tidy, watch movies, play with her children and pet animals, and sometimes go on holiday to the beach at Darwin.