Ada Andy Napaltjarri was born on Narwietooma Station, daughter of artists Entalura Nangala and Don Tjungarrayi. The family moved to Haasts Bluff not long after and this is where Ada and her sisters grew up. Later the family moved to Papunya in it's early settlement days.

Ada was part of Papunya Tula Artists group of first women to paint independently of the men. It is likely Ada learnt to paint through watching her male relatives and with the encouragement of her husband, a community teacher who had an interest in the art movement and also noted that women had previously been excluded from painting.

Ada has been painting since the early 1980's and continues to do so today.