Walangkura Napanangka was born in 1946 at Tjiturulnga, west of Walungurru (Kintore) in the far west of the Northern Territory. Her parents were Inyuwa Nampitjinpa and Tutuma Tjapangati, who were also artists. Her family was among a group of Pintupi people who made their way to the Ikuntji settlement (Haasts Bluff) in 1956. They walked hundreds of kilometres from west of the salt lake of Karrkurutinjinya (Lake Macdonald) to gain access to the food and water at the settlement. The family returned to their home country of Walungurru (Kintore) in 1981.
Walangkura began her Aboriginal Art painting in 1995 by participating in the collaborative canvas project ‘Minyma Tjukurrpa’ between the Kintore and Haasts Bluff communities. She subsequently joined and began painting with Papunya Tula Artists in 1996. She now lives at Kiwirkurra with her husband and fellow artist Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula.
Walangkura has exhibited extensively, including in the landmark show “Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius” held in 2000 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Her work is represented in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Australia, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Artbank and The Kelton Foundation.