Kantjupayi Benson comes from Blackstone Community (Papulankutja), 300 kilometres west of the Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia borders. She spends time between Blackstone and Docker River communities.
Kantjupayi began to make baskets and animal sculptures in 1995, after the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjarra Yankunytjatjara Women's Council (NPY Women's Council) initiated a weaving project at Blackstone community. Since then she has stood out as an extremely creative and individual weaver.
In 1997 Kantjupayi began to weave animals that she saw around the camp and in the bush. She became renowned for these quirky sculptures and often makes them on commission. For the touring exhibition Manguri Weaving she made a set of camp crockery, frying pans, cups and billies.
Kantjupayi is a respected, senior Ngaanyatjarra law woman who has a son and two daughters. Both her son and one daughter are blind and Kantjupayi contributes all of her income from art to these children.
The artist has exhibited her work with Tjanpi Weavers from 1995 onwards. Her fibre work was featured strongly in the national touring exhibitions Straight from the Heart 1998; Manguri Weaving 2001 and in Seven Sisters: Fibre Works Arising from the West, Craftwest Centre for Contemporary Craft and Design, Perth, 2004.
