Damien and Yilpi Marks

The collaboration between Damien Marks Jangala and Yilpi Marks Atira stands as one of the most vibrant partnerships in contemporary Indigenous Australian art. As husband and wife, the pair bring together the traditions of the Pintupi/Luritja and Pitjantjatjara peoples, creating a unified visual language that captures both the spiritual and physical essence of the Central Desert.
Their paintings reflect not only artistic skill but also deep cultural knowledge, combining ancestral stories, ceremonial symbolism, and an intimate understanding of the land.

damien and yilpi marks artworks

Biography

Damien Marks Jangala
Born: July 10, 1967
Birthplace: Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory
Heritage: Luritja and Pintupi

Damien Marks grew up in Papunya during the formative years of the Western Desert art movement. As a young boy attending Papunya School in the 1970s, he witnessed elders establishing what would become one of the most influential Indigenous art movements in Australia.

He observed renowned artists such as Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, and Uta Uta Tjangala as they created the first desert murals and paintings that defined the Papunya Tula movement.

These respected elders later became his mentors, passing down sacred Dreaming stories as well as the intricate dotting techniques that are central to Western Desert art traditions.

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Yilpi Marks Atira Bio

Born: November 7, 1969

Birthplace: Ernabella, South Australia

Heritage: Pitjantjatjara

Yilpi Marks was born into a distinguished artistic lineage in the APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) Lands. Her parents, Tjulkiwa Atira-Atira and Nyukana Baker, were respected artists whose works are held in major institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Growing up surrounded by artistic practice and cultural storytelling, Yilpi developed a distinctive style characterised by fluid movement, painterly expression, and a masterful use of colour. Her vibrant palette reflects the artistic traditions of Ernabella and the wider APY region.

The Evolution of a Creative Partnership

After their marriage, Damien and Yilpi lived for a time in Damien’s ancestral country near Papunya before moving to South Australia and eventually settling in Alice Springs.

While each had developed their own artistic voice, the couple began painting collaboratively in the 1990s, creating works that merge their cultural traditions.

Their joint paintings are particularly significant because they often combine Men’s and Women’s Dreamings within the same composition. This approach is relatively rare in traditional Aboriginal art and offers a more holistic representation of Indigenous law, culture, and connection to country.

The “My Country” Series

Damien and Yilpi Marks are best known for their “My Country” series, a body of work that presents detailed aerial perspectives of their ancestral lands.

These paintings function as visual maps of the desert, weaving together geography, memory, and cultural knowledge.

Key elements commonly found in the series include:

Topography

Sand hills (Tali), salt lakes, rocky outcrops, and winding dry creek beds are rendered in intricate patterns.

Water Sources

Concentric circles represent vital rockholes and soakages that sustain life in the desert.

Ceremony

Traditional iconography referencing ceremonial body paint designs and ritual tools used in cultural practices.

Bush Food and Survival Knowledge

Symbols indicating the seasonal presence of desert grasses, seeds, fruits, and other bush foods essential to life on country.

The couple’s colour palette is widely admired for its intensity. Earthy browns and ochres are often contrasted with vivid purples, electric blues, and brilliant yellows, creating a sense of movement and energy that gives their work a distinctly contemporary edge.

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Career Highlights and Exhibitions

Over the years, Damien and Yilpi Marks have exhibited widely in galleries across Australia, and their works are held in important private and public collections.

Notable exhibitions include:

  • 2019 – The Colourists: Defining Tradition, Sydney
  • 2020 – Colours of Spring, Sydney
  • 2025–2026 – Recent My Country masterworks featured at the Mandel Aboriginal Art Gallery

Their paintings are also represented in the permanent collection of the Mandel Aboriginal Art Gallery.

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