Narpula grew up in Papunya where her parents were forcefully moved transported together with many other aborigines as part of the official assimilation policy. She is the younger sister of the great painter Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula. Her husband Johnny Scobie Tjapanangka, also a well known artist, was one of those involved in beginning of the art movement in Western Desert. She assisted him for many years in painting the background details to his painting and first began to work independently in the early 80's and as such was one of the first women to do so in Walungurru (Pintupi language) area.
Her work usually depicts bush tucker and other women’s stories and is highly sought by collectors.
Selected exhibitions:
1987 "Art and Aboriginality", Portsmouth
1988 "Australian Art", touring exhibition in China
1995, 1998, 2000 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
1999 Flinders Art Museum Flinders University, Adelaide
2003 Chapel off Chapel Gallery (Watiyawanu Artists), Melbourne.
Selected collections:
Australian Museum, Sydney
South Australian Museum, Adelaide
Holmes a Court Collections
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Artbank
Flinders Art Museum, Adelaide
Kelton Collection, USA
Awards & Commissions:
2001, finalist in 18th Telstra NATSIAA
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