Pantjiti Mary McLean was a Wongutha woman born in Kaltukatjara, in the Docker River region of Western Australia in 1930. Her life journey was marked by various experiences, including working on sheep stations and sandalwood camps. Eventually, she settled in the Ninga Mia community near Kalgoorlie.

McLean was not only a respected elder but also an educator. ... Her artistic journey began during the 1980s when she started painting and engaging in craftwork. One significant point in her career was her participation in the Warta Kutju (Wama Wanti) Street Art Project, where she crossed paths with fibre artist Nalda Searles. Searles played a pivotal role in McLean's artistic development, encouraging her to refine her distinctive style, which blended figurative elements with traditional Aboriginal dot work.

The subject matter of McLean's artwork revolved around the seasonal abundance of the landscape, portraying people gathering food and navigating the land in their quests. Notably, her works focused on portraying joyful moments rather than the hardships she had encountered during leaner times. Her art was characterized by its vibrant and colourful nature.

In 1993, Pantjiti Mary McLean held a highly successful exhibition at the Fremantle Art Centre, which provided the encouragement she needed to continue in her chosen artistic direction. Her unique painting technique involved placing the canvas on the floor and working on it without adherence to perspective or proportion until the canvas was covered and felt complete. Her works always depicted her personal experiences or stories from her childhood.

Her contributions to art and culture were recognized when she was awarded the Telstra Art Award in 1995 and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Curtin University in Perth in 2001. Additionally, in 2005, a book featuring a catalogue for a retrospective exhibition titled "Pantjiti Mary McLean: A Big Story: Paintings and Drawings 1992–2005" was published in Adelaide.

Her paintings have found their way into numerous major public collections and many private collections across Australia, underscoring her significant impact on the Australian art scene.