The community co-operative Irrunytju Arts was opened in 2001, and Wingu was one of its first artists. She achieved success soon after, and she had her first exhibition in Melbourne in 2002. In the same year, she was also featured in the annual "Desert Mob" exhibition in Alice Springs. Her work from this exhibition was chosen as a finalist for the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) in 2003. Even in her earliest work, Wingu's style was unique and stood out strongly against the styles of the other artists at Irrunytju. She used lighter shades of colour with curvier lines, while other artists at the centre were experimenting with bright colours and block shapes.