Thomas Tjapaltjarri was born c.1964. In 1984 Thomas, with his brothers Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Walala Tjapaltjarri and other Pintupi family members walked out from the desert, west of Lake Mackay into Kiwirrkura. The group of nine made national headlines and became known as ‘the last nomads’, as this was their first contact with non- Aboriginal people.

Thomas started painting in the late 1980s for Papunya Tula and is considered one of the leading Pintupi artists from the Western Desert. His depictions refer to the Tingari Cycle mythology. Along with his brothers his examples of Aboriginal Art are considered to be relatively untainted by European influences.