She was born in 1965, the daughter of Aboriginal Australian activist Charles Perkins[2] and his wife Eileen Munchenberg.
[6] She was then appointed curator at the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative[2] in Sydney, where she was responsible for the expansion of its premises and raising of its profile.
Under her curatorship, Boomalli mounted many exhibitions in Sydney and internationally, showcasing its members and other New South Wales artists.
[6] In 1997 she co-curated the Australian entry for the 1997 Venice Biennale (along with Brenda L. Croft and Victoria Lynn[4]), which featured the work of Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Yvonne Koolmatrie, and Judy Watson.
Perkins was curator of the NPG's fourth National Indigenous Art Triennial: Ceremony (26 March–31 July 2022).
[10][11] She co-produced four series of Colour Theory for SBS/NITV, and co-curated the Australian Indigenous Art Commission at the Musee du quai Branly in Paris, France.