Charmaine Torres Pwerle is the daughter of well known artist Barbara Weir and granddaughter to the late Minnie Pwerle. Charmaine resides in Alice Springs, where she was born in 1975, with her four daughters.

Charmaine attended school at Utopia, before leaving to attend school in Adelaide for 3 years to improve her education.  After another year at Utopia when she was 10, Charmaine settled into her secondary education at Saint Phillips College in Alice Springs. After which Charmaine spent several years with her family on her homeland in .Utopia before moving back to Adelaide to further her studies.

In 1992 Charmaine returned again to Utopia and worked for Urapuntja Council as the junior administration assistant. During this time Charmaine lived with her mother Barbara Weir and grandparents Minnie Pwerle and Motorcar Jim at Soakage Bore – an outstation on Utopia Station.

During Charmaines years at Utopia she emmersed herself in her culture and was able to learn all the sacred stories and dreamings through participatation in sacred ceremonies.  Charmaine has always been surrounded by artists including her mother Barbara Weir, the late great Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Gloria Petyarre, her grandmother Minnie Pwerle.

Charmaine’s main inspirations come from her Grandmother’s country Atnwengerrp and awelye – “Women’s Ceremonial Body Paint Designs”.