Ritasha Watson Nampilinpa was born in Alice Springs and has lived all her life in Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 km north-west of Alice Springs. Ritasha Watson Nampijinpa is the daughter of Andrea Martin Nungarrayi, a well-known artist already referenced in numerous institutions.

Ritasha Watson Nampijinpa began painting in 2001 and paints the stories of Ngapa Jukurrpa (Dream of Water), dreams that relate to the land of Pirlinyarnu. These stories were passed on to her by her mother and grandmother.