Ningura Napurrula was born circa 1938 in Watulka south of Kiwirrkura community in Central Australia. Napurrula was married to the late Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungurrayi. In the 1960’s Yala Yala and his family journyed to Yininti Wili, IIpili, Wirrinili and finally arriving in Papunya. Ningura and her family lived in Papunya’s Pintupi camp for many years. Yala Yala was one of the original artists who started the Papunya Tula Art movement in the early 1970’s, he has painted many masterpieces and on some occasion Ningura was apprenticed by Yala Yala and allowed to dot in the background. Ningura observed the artist in Papunya work on large paintings and listened to them discussing the importance of the story layout.
In the early 1990’s Ningura started painting her own paintings, remembering the teachings of the old men and the importance of the layout of the story. Ningura paints the mythological events of her Ancestors. As she paints Ningura will sing the songs for that story, her paintings are focused and depict the travels of her Ancestors and the sacred sites in her country.
