Mitjili was born around 1945 at Haasts Bluff in Central Australia and passed away in 2019. In 1959, she and her family relocated from Haasts Bluff to the new settlement of Papunya. It was at Papunya where she observed men, including her brother Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula (deceased), engaging in painting.

Initially, Mitjili’s paintings were influenced by the artists from Papunya. Upon returning to Haasts Bluff, she began painting in 1992 for the Ikuntji Women’s Centre. She subsequently developed her own unique style, drawing inspiration from her father’s Dreaming Uwalki, which is the story of the spear straightening ceremony taught to Mitjili by her mother.

Mitjili’s distinctive artistic style was rooted in her father's country, also called Uwalki, located west of Haasts Bluff near the Kintore Ranges in the Northern Territory. This area is characterized by red sandhills, bushes, and trees, and is known for its spearwood trees used to make spears.