Marshall Japangardi Poulson was born in Yuendumu in 1961. His mother was from Derby, in Western Australia. His father's country is Pikilyi, a waterhole near Mont Doreen Station and nearby to Yuendumu. The dreamings associated with this region feature in many of Marshall's paintings. He first painted in the 1980s, learning from his older brother Neville "Cobra" Japangardi Poulson who was a well-known Yuendumu artist. Since his brother's death in 2013, Marshall has been inspired to start painting again so that the dreamings and knowledge that they inherited from their father will continue to be passed on. "I like painting because young people want to see the dreamings".
Marshall attended school in Yuendumu and went on to boarding school at Yirara College outside of Alice Springs. He trained as an apprentice mechanic and worked at Yuendumu after finishing. He is married to Flora Nakamarra Brown, another well-known artist painting with Warlukurlangu Artists. They now live in Nyirripi, a smaller and more remote community, for a quieter life. Flora and Marshall do now have children of their own but do have many nieces and nephews in Areyonga and Darwin.
In Marshall's free time, if he has access to a four wheel drive he likes to go out hunting. He also attends the local church in Nyirripi and occasionally goes to church conferences in Darwin.
