Phyllis Donegan was born at Warburton Ranges and is the youngest daughter of renowned painter Jimmy Donegan. She went to school at Amata and moved back to Pipalyatjara and Kalka in the homeland movement of the late 1970’s. As she was growing up she moved between Wingellina, Pipalyatjara and Amata. She started painting in Papulankatja (Blackstone) and it was there that she worked with her sister and mother on the ‘Tjanpi Toyota’ that won the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) in 2005. She now lives in Kalka with her family.