Marlene Connelly

Marlene Connolly Smith is an artist belonging to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara language and cultural groups who lives in the remote community of Kaltukatjara (Docker River) in the Northern Territory. She grew up there, on her traditional lands in the Petermann Ranges, but was born further north in Tennant Creek while her parents were working there.

Marlene learnt to weave from her aunty, Patricia Orgula, and began weaving herself in 2004. She has continued to make baskets with Tjanpi ever since, with a weaving career spanning 20 years. She first tried her hand at sculpture making however in 2023 when she created the sculpture Kaltukatjara Tractor with her friend Hazel Roy.