Susan Peters Nampitjin was born on Argyle station in 1963 near the banks of the Behn River, and lived there with family for four years. Susan’s family worked as jackaroos, stockmen, camp cooks, yard builders, and fencers. As time passed in 1970 the Ord river scheme came to be, and her family was trucked back to the desert. Susan was removed from her mother and travelled to Queensland with her father, sister, and carer mother. Susan is a descendant of Walmajarri and Ngarti People (Yagga Yagga Way) who hold ancient stories, Waljirri (dreamtime) ceremonies, and oral history of families living around Paruku (Lake Gregory).

The central focus of Susan’s art practice is a personal reflection about family, Country, community, oral histories, survival, and traditional foods and medicines. The diverse countryside, waterways, and sand hills are depicted through the use of bright colours of varying shades. She often uses other mediums as an extension of her art practice, including fabric, and natural bush materials, such as ochre, seeds, pandanus leaves, and grasses.

Over the last few years Susan has been working with hessian and ochre (moving away from canvas). Exhibiting with Umbrella in 2021, Susan won the CIAF Award for Innovation for this new development in her practice. Her work is held in significant collections including Artbank, National Gallery of Australia and the Rockhampton Museum of Art.