Teresa Purla is the daughter of Barbara Weir, and the granddaughter of the late Minnie Pwerle, both highly reputed Utopia artists. Teresa was born in Darwin in 1963, and spent a number of her early years living in Papunya with her mother and father.

In her adult life, Teresa has lived at various times in Adelaide and Perth. Today she lives in the community of Atnwengerrp, the traditional country of her mother and grandmother, on the Utopia homelands, north east of Alice Springs. Teresa currently serves on the Ampilatwitja Council, which has responsibilities for the surrounding communities.

Teresa began her painting career in 1990, under the tutelage of her mother Barbara. Her paintings are highly detailed, often multi- layered, and feature finely executed dot work. Teresas current paintings have an underlying influence from the series that her mother Barbara Weir created around My Mothers Country. This series reflects the strong familial ties to Anmatyerre culture of the Utopia region. The influence of grandmother Minnie Pwerle is seen more in the connections to the stories and ceremonies of Atnwengerrp country, rather than in the famous Awelye body painting gestures so closely associated with Minnies style.

Teresa Purlas paintings have been exhibited in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, as well as in Paris and Copenhagen. In 2006 Teresa exhibited 11 paintings alongside the work of Minnie Pwerle, in an exhibition titled Grandmother and Granddaughter, held at Japingka Gallery.