Born at Haasts Bluff in the late 1940’s during the early years of mission settlement. Pansy is of Luritja/Warlpiri descent. Her father and grandfather are Warlpiri tribesmen and were born at Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs), west of Papunya. Pansy took her first steps into the Aboriginal Art world by learning about the Dreamings of her father’s country from the artist Rennie Robinson. These are: Bush Banana, Water Snake, Marlu (Kangaroo), Cockatoo, Bush Mangoes and Willy Wagtail. Her mother who was Luritja was born at the site of Illpili. Her mother’s cousin taught Pansy the Dreamings from her mother’s side of the family. These are: Seven Sisters, Hail, Desert Raisin and Kungkakutjara (Two Women).

From 1960 onwards Pansy lived in Papunya where she observed older Aboriginal Artists like Johnny Warangkula and Kaapa Tjampitjinpa. Hence, she began to develop her own style. Pansy recalls her grandparents telling her stories about Dreamings and also showing her how to depict them by drawing them in the sand. She practiced on paper and later used her designs to do collages comprising of glue and the ininti seeds from which the women made necklaces. Unlike other female artists now associated with Papunya Tula Artists, she did not serve an apprenticeship by working up to the 80’s on the paintings of her male relatives. She began working for herself from the early 70’s. The resources of Papunya Tula Artists at this time were exclusively the province of the senior initiated men who began the painting enterprise. Pansy independently sold her works in Alice Springs. She worked in this manner for about five years followed by a long break. In 1983 she resumed painting, working for Papunya Tula Artists.

During the late 80’s she emerged as Papunya Tula’s foremost female artist. Her work was included in the company’s display at the 1988 Brisbane Expo and also featured on the cover of The Inspired Dream catalogue of a major survey of Aboriginal Art shown at the same time at the Queensland Art Gallery. She has had two solo exhibitions. The first one was at the Sydney Opera House in September 1988 promoted by the Centre for Aboriginal Artists (for whom she still paints occasionally). The second showing occurred at the Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in Melbourne in May 1989 promoted by Papunya Tula Artists. In 1989 she won the sixth National Aboriginal Art Award. She showed again at the Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in late 1991 and also in Brisbane with Eunice Napangardi in early 1992. As well as having a son she has adopted four other children, the youngest of whom she now lives with in Alice Springs.