Mary Gibson was born at a site called Kuluwarri, deep in the western desert. As a child she lived at Kurlkurta, east of Kuluwarri. When she was a teenager, her family walked to Papunya. Mary moved to Tjukurla in 1989 when it was first established as an outstation. She was one of the first artists painting at Tjarlirli Art when it was established in 2006.
