Alma Nungarrayi Granites

The daughter of Paddy Japaljarri Sims and Bessie Nakamarra Sims (both founding artists of Warlukurlangu Artists), Alma Nungarrayi Granites was born in 1955 at 4 Miles where her parents worked tending market gardens, a farm with a piggery and fruit trees.

4 Miles is located near Yuendumu (an Aboriginal community located north-west of Alice Springs), to where Alma and her sisters would walk each day to attend the local school at Yuendumu. When 4 Mile closed down, her family moved permanently to Yuendumu.

Whilst at school, Alma met her husband Robin Japanangk Granites, to whom she had 3 daughters (Sabrina, Valda and Geraldine) and many grand children. In the early days, Robin became a famous artist travelling around the world, whilst Alma stayed behind looking after the children.

During this time raising her daughters, Alma worked as a staff member at the local school, she also attended Bachelor College and studied to become an accredited teacher assistant for Warlpiri (her native language) and English. After finishing her studies she worked at the Yuendumu School assisting in the Warlpiri classes.

It during this time that Alma became aware of the efforts to maintain and preserve culture and traditions. She would observe the elders of the community going to the school to instruct and teach the young generation about the Jukurrpa (Dreaming) and the country associated to this Jukurrpa. Alma became interested in learning more about her heritage and traditions and started attending the courses run by the Old Peoples Program and Adult Education Centre.

Alma started to paint with Warlukurlangu Artists in 1987, although it wasn’t until early 2007 when she started to seriously explore her painting skills, working at the art centre everyday to produce a body of work that expanded her knowledge of the dreaming ( Jukurrpa ), as she continued the development of her unique technical artistic style to become an accomplished artist.

“I want my art to tell the story of my ancestors and be able to show the world my culture and my traditions.”

She paints a large array of stories all of which have been passed down to her from her father and the generations before him. All her paintings tell creation stories that relate to the artists traditional country.