Noreen was born in Alice Springs and moved to Kaltjiti (Fregon) Community and then to Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff) as a child. Noreen comes from a highly accomplished family of artists: she is the daughter of painter and fibre artist Kumuntjai Dixon (dec) and Pastor Simon Dixon, granddaughter of acclaimed artist Kumuntjai Nampitjinpa Dixon (dec) and great-granddaughter of founding Papunya Tula painter Uta Uta Tjangala. Noreen speaks both Pitjantjara and Luritja as well as English. She learnt to paint while in her mother’s sacred country at Waturru in South Australia. Noreen often painted in the company of her mother, learning her mother’s stories, before her mother passed away.

She was taught about Dreaming by her maternal grandmother, who would sing songs to tell the stories to the younger generation. However, Noreen paints a different part of the story to her mother, focusing on two sisters. As well as painting, Noreen learned Ininti (seed) jewellery-making from her grandmother and has helped run Ininti-making workshops in various locations. Noreen likes to work with her sister-in-law Virgillia and aunty Kelly Dixon, fellow Ikuntji artists. Noreen developed her first fabric-by-the-metre design in workshops in 2022.