BIOGRAPHY

Maria Curley is from Fregon on the APY Lands. Her father's Country is David Well, and her mother's Country is Walytjitjata, west of Kanypi. Maria studied to become a teacher in Adelaide and worked throughout the APY Lands teacher children of all ages.

Maria recently shifted her focus to painting and has become a promising artist. She is from a family of strong painters, the eldest daughter of established artist Imitjala Curley and her sister's Madeline and Meredith also paint at the Art Centre. Maria paints the Anumara Tjukurpa (caterpillar dreaming) that she inherited from her Kami (grandmother). Her tenacity, vibrancy and energy is applied to her paintings to represent this important cultural story. The Anumara Tjukurpa story is kept secret. The place where the caterpillar lives is important and keeping the story secret protects the caterpillar from being eaten.