In The Studio with Lyn-Al Young

Get to know the Indigenous Fashion Designer and artist sharing story through many creative outlets and mediums

From runways, to Vogue, AO and back on Country in Yorta Yorta Woka, Lyn-Al Young’s artistic practice has no bounds. The celebrated Indigenous fashion designer, painter, maker, and storyteller has a lineage rooted in arts.

With her family having recently opened a gallery in Echuca, MarraMarra, Lyn-Al Young takes us into her arts practice and studio as part of our monthly In The Studio series.

Keep up to date with all things arts, exhibitions and stage here.

Who is Lyn-Al Young?

I work across a range of mediums, both individually and collaboratively — particularly with my family. These include silk painting with dyes, acrylic and watercolour painting, burning on paper and wood, metal sculpture, murals, photography, videography, language, and poetry. I’m also exploring digital forms as an extension of my practice.

Some works are abstract, others more figurative, but all hold layered meanings through symbolism and are grounded in story — whether it’s my own, a client’s, or a larger narrative that needs to be honoured. 

 

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How long have you been developing your arts practice?

In many ways, my arts practice began long before I could name it. I grew up surrounded by art — both my mum and dad are artists and come from long lines of artists, artefact makers, musicians, actors, activists, and storytellers. Creating has always been woven into how my family communicates, remembers, and carries story.

 

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How did you discover your passion for art?

Some of my earliest memories of art include sitting still while my mum sketched my portrait, or watching my dad and brother sell my uncle’s paintings to cruise-ship visitors in Adelaide. At seven, I was helping after school at our family gallery in Port Adelaide. By the time I was ten, I was making my own bags and had set a goal to make a living from my creations. At twelve, I began selling my bags and pastel drawings at the Koorie Night Markets in Northcote. 

It’s not something I discovered, but a gift passed down to me so graciously — never obligatory, but a way to freely express myself and share with others. I continue to grow and explore new outlets, but at my core, I was created to create.

What have been the biggest milestones in your arts career to date?

One of the most significant, and the project with the greatest global reach to date, was creating artwork for the Australian Open in honour of Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s 50th anniversary of her first AO win in 2024.

The work spanned the entire precinct, from large-scale murals on the steps of Margaret Court Arena to over a hundred metres along Birrarung Marr, also displayed around the court for the women’s finals. Also created a dedicated merchandise range, all created to honour Evonne and her extraordinary legacy. Being entrusted to help tell her story on this global stage was a defining moment in my practice.

What is your favourite artwork or series that you have created and why? Please describe the work!

So many of my creative works hold deep memory, emotion, and layered meaning, but one silk painting comes to mind.

I painted it by Dungala (the Murray River) in a secluded spot just outside Echuca.

Beginning with prayer and reverence, I placed the silk into the water, allowing the river to cleanse it. I then laid it out on the riverbank and painted in that moment — not trying to create anything else, but simply to capture time as the ripples told it. The work reflects the movement of the water, the texture of the earth, and the rhythm of Country.

My family were nearby, sitting around a fire, and the smoke moved gently through the air, cleansing the space as I painted. It was an incredibly grounded and sacred moment of connection — to Country, to family, and to story. That silk later became part of my first-ever Vogue shoot, and it carries not only that milestone, but the quiet power of where and how it was created.

What has been the biggest challenge you face as an artist and how are you pushing through that barrier (if you can!)?

On a personal level, fear and negative thinking. On a more practical level — admin. It’s not my natural strength, and switching from creative flow into administrative thinking can be challenging for me. Moving through both has required learning to trust myself and my work, and to build rhythms and systems that support my creativity rather than disrupt it.

 

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Where has your work been, or is your work currently, displayed?

So far, my work has travelled more of the world than I have. I’ve been part of travelling exhibitions in Paris and Bangkok, and my work has been collected internationally. Currently, my work is being showcased at our family-run gallery, MarraMarra Gallery, located at 628 High Street, Echuca – Yorta Yorta Woka

Tell us about your studio space! What are all of the elements that make your studio functional and inspirational for developing your art?

My studio is fluid and alive — it moves with me. My most loved studio space is Country itself. I am Gunnai, Wiradjuri, Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta, Boon Wurrung and i connect uniquely to each landscape and waterway.

I create make-shift studios, whether for a single day or across return visits, listening, observing, and responding to place. Being on Country shapes everything — the pace, the marks, the stories that emerge.

When I’m not working directly on Country, I bring elements of it back home with me — natural materials and memories — and surround myself with these reminders. They ground me, guide my hands, and keep my practice connected to where the stories come from.

 

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What does a typical day of creating art look like for you both in the studio and out of the studio?

Each creating day is different. When I’m in creative flow, time dissolves and I can work day and night, gaining energy from creating.

When I’m not in flow and need to restore energy elsewhere, it might look like going for a swim at the beach, walking in the bush, or treasure-hunting in an op shop.

Whenever I’m in Echuca, I help out with my family at the gallery, and enjoy sharing our stories with visitors.

How would you characterise the arts ecosystem in regional Victoria?

The regional Victorian arts ecosystem is still something I’m getting to know, as our gallery has only been based in Echuca since April. It’s been encouraging to see high-profile public works like silo art across the region, though it’s not always clear how involved local artists have been as lead creators. What is very evident in Echuca, however, is a strong community of practising artists, which creates a rich diversity of styles for the many visitors who come through the town.

How has being based in regional Victoria elevated your arts practice?

It’s been wonderful exposure for our gallery — the number of daily and weekly visitors engaging with our work has been the highest we’ve ever experienced. We’ve also seen a strong level of interest from international visitors, with many purchasing work, which has been really encouraging.

As a family, we made a deliberate decision to return to my grandmother’s Country and create opportunities for our family in Echuca. The gallery has been entirely self-established and family-run, and we’re learning as we go. While working in a formal gallery space is new for some, my mum and her siblings have been sharing and selling cultural artefacts since they were young. Storytelling — our history, family and connection to Country — is something they know deeply, and that is at the heart of how we welcome people into the space.

 

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What does 2026 look like for you as a creator?

2026 looks like exploring new creative directions, working closely with family and MarraMarra gallery, producing more works for the space, and developing collaborative pieces. 

On behalf of my family, I warmly welcome you to visit MarraMarra Gallery in Echuca. MarraMarra means Create–Make–Do, and reflects who we are — a fully self-run, family-led space guided by the wisdom of our ancestors, led by my Mum and Dad, and cared for by aunties, uncles, siblings, and cousins.

While our gallery may be new to the Port of Echuca, our lineage runs deep on Yorta Yorta Woka. MarraMarra is about creating, making, and doing the work to carry our future forward — together.