Gurlabalby Marlene Juli

Marlene Juli was born on the 8th of November 1975 and comes from Kununurra in Western Australia. Her mother is a well known artist, Mabel Juli and it was she who taught Marlene not only the important Dreamings of her country but also how to paint and depict traditional Dreamings.

As a young woman she was educated in her home community of Warmun as well as in Broome in Western Australia. Prior to starting her family she worked in the local community and began painting in 1999 after serving an apprenticeship under her mother.

In 1999 Marlene began her artist career painting for Warmun Art Centre after an apprenticeship under her mother, Mabel. Marlene is a natural ochre artist and the themes of her work include the history and landscape of Darrajayn (Springvale Farm area) which lies to the south-west of her home in Warmun. Darrajayn is her maternal grandfather’s traditional country. The Dreamings and Ngarrangkarni (lore) of that country has been passed down to Marlene from her mother during many travels there together. Marlene’s primary Dreaming is the Gurlabal or Rainbow Serpent however Darragyn Country, and landscapes around the Warmun Community are all themes of her paintings.

Marlene is a talented and up and coming third generation artist from the Kimberley. She has participated in several group exhibitions and her artworks are featured in some well known private and public collections around Australia and the US. Her partner, Mark Nodea, is also an artist.

Whilst Central Art has sadly never had the priveldge of working with Marlene we would like to acknowledge her talent as an emerging and important Aboriginal artist. To pay tribute to this we are pleased to feature one of her artworks on an artwork journal available in our gift store. 

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