Mrs T. James was born at a place called Alpi, which is south of Docker River, very close to the ranges there. Her father's country is Wangkari which is just over the ranges from Docker River. Her mother's father passed away at Wankari. Her mother's country is west of Docker River.

Mrs James grew up at Docker River community and spent much of her youth out bush, swimming at waterholes and hunting. Her father also used to take her to Ernabella where they would sell dingo skins. She did not go to school. Prior to the opening of Kaltukatjara Art in 2016, Mrs James had been painting, weaving tjanpi and carving purnu for many years, and was a senior custodian and knowledge woman for the Kaltukatjara/Docker River area. She was beloved by her community and known for her quick wit, joyful presence and incredible body of cultural knowledge.

Mrs James was widely recognised and praised for her distinct style, abstracting traditional iconography and using thick brushstrokes and generous sweeps of paint to create her unique canvases. In 2019, she held a solo exhibition at RAFT Artspace in Alice Springs, and she has been included in many group exhibitions such as Desert Mob, Alice Springs and the Women's Show at Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne. In 2021, Mrs James was selected as a finalist for the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) with her work Kungka Kutjara (Two Sisters Dreaming).