Meet Mal
Mal was born near Pangkupirri, a significant place in his family’s Country, and spent his early years travelling with his family across the region. As a child, Mal and his family were taken to the mission at Warburton before later returning to Kaltukatjara to be closer to their traditional homelands. When Tjukurla was established as a community, the family moved again.
Over the years, Mal has lived in Tjukurla, Kaltukatjara, Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie. These places form part of a much larger Western Desert geography connected through family, movement and Country.
Country, family and story
Mal paints Tjarlirli, the rockhole near Tjukurla from which Tjarlirli Art takes its name.
Tjarlirli is an important place in the Country surrounding Tjukurla community, approximately 300 kilometres west-north-west of Uluru, just across the Western Australian border.
The way Mal paints
Mal learned to paint in Alice Springs alongside his mother, Mrs T. Porter. Through her, he developed his own approach to painting while working within a strong family tradition of Western Desert art.
His paintings of Tjarlirli are built through repeated marks, colour and movement.
An emerging practice
Mal is part of a younger generation of artists developing their own practices while carrying forward knowledge learned through family and Country.
In 2026, his work was selected for the Revealed Emerging Artists Exhibition, recognising the development of his practice and introducing his paintings to a wider audience.
Why his work matters
Mal’s paintings are part of a living continuation of Western Desert painting: grounded in Country and family, but shaped by his own experience and visual language.
Buying Mal’s work supports him directly and helps keep Tjarlirli and Kaltukatjara Art strong for artists, families and community.
