Biography

Maxine Nungarrayi Tex was born in Alice Springs but has spent most of her time in Nyirripi and Yuendumu. Yuendumu is a remote Aboriginal community located 290 km north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia and Nyirripi is an Aboriginal community located a further 160 km west of Yuendumu. She is the daughter of Peter Japaljarri Tex and Dulcie Napangardi Williams, who have painted with Warlukurlangu Artists and niece of Nora Napaljarri Nelson, who has also painted with Warlukurlangu Artists. Maxine attended the local school in Yuendumu and then Yirara College in Alice Springs. After she finished her schooling she returned to Nyirripi where she worked for a Child Care Centre. In 2005 she moved to Yuendumu. She is married and has three children, two sons and a daughter. Maxine has been painting on and off since she left school and with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu since 2008. She paints her Karnta Jukurrpa stories, (Women’s Dreaming) but also likes to paint Wanakiji Jukurrpa (Bush Tomato Dreaming) from her father’s side. When she’s not painting or looking after her children she likes to play softball and hunt goanna around Nyirripi and Yuendumu.