Christy Young APY Lands, b. 1982

Christy Young  b.1982

Language Group: Pitjantjatjara

Region: APY Lands, SA

Christy Young is an emerging Indigenous painter with great promise and talent. With strong natural drawing skills, her early exposure to painting comes from an impressive family lineage of esteemed artists and cultural leaders. Yaritji Young is Christy’s mother, and as a senior law woman and traditional owner of the Country around Amata community, Yaritji’s paintings are now highly sought across the globe. Christy’s grandparents Mick Wikilyiri and Paniny Mick are also both important cultural leaders and artists who have influenced the APY art movement.

Christy’s paints her mother’s stories, Tjala Tjukurpa and iconography from her grandparents practices, however she brings her own interpretation and artist flair for drawing. Often in a reduced mono-palette or striking black and white, Christy works in acrylic on linen as well as ink on paper. Christy’s artwork displays the importance of knowledge transfer in Anangu culture and its significance in keeping cultural law and stories alive.

“I paint the Kungka ywu, the tjala (honey ant) women’s wind break on my Tjamu’s (Grandfather’s) Country. The honey ants made that place, it’s all the girl honey ants there. It’s a place for everyone, trees everywhere, it has lots of shade and we swim there when the rain comes. We go there all the time with my mum, Yaritji [Young] and aunty, Freda [Brady]. Palya!” - Christy Young

Group Exhibitions:

2022 Fishers Ghost Art Award finalist – Campbelltown City Council Collection

2022 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair- Tjala Arts

2022 Brenda Colahan Fine Art