Carissa lives in Hermannsburg, her father is Lloyd Inkamala and her mother was Elaine Namatjira (DEC).

Carissa Inkamala is the daughter of Elaine Namatjira who was also an established watercolour artist taking after her father Morris Namatjira, son of Albert Namatjira.

Carissa works at the Lutheran Community Care in Ntaria as an Aboriginal support worker. In her spare time she has enjoyed trying her hand at silk painting and dot painting, but more recently she has been dedicated to the watercolour painting tradition.