Yurpiya Lionel
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Yurpiya Lionel

Australia • 1960

Biography

Yurpiya Lionel is an Australian Aboriginal artist of the Pitjantjatjara people, born in 1959 and living in the Pukatja community in the desert of South Australia. She is part of the Ernabella Aboriginal Artists cooperative in Pukatja, where she began painting in 2005. Today, she manages the women's painting studio there. Yurpiya is also an accomplished sculptor and fiber weaver. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions in Australia and worldwide and are part of public collections such as the University of Newcastle (Australia) and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia).

Yurpiya Lionel was born at Donald's Well, near Kenmore Park, about 45 km east of Ernabella (Pukatja). She is the daughter of Panjiti Lionel, a senior Pitjantjatjara woman artist. She has three children and several grandchildren—her daughters Rachael and Alison Lionel are emerging artists who practice painting and ceramics.

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