Alma Nungarrayi Granites

Alma Nungarrayi Granites (also known as Alma Nungarai Granites) was born 30th May 1955.

Alma was born into the Warlpiri clan and lives at Yuendumu, 300 kilometres North-West of Alice Springs. She belongs to a great tradition of family painters. Her father and mother, Paddy Japaljarri Sims and Bessie Nakamarra Sims, are two of the artists who founded “Warlukurlangu Artists” in the mid 1980s. This locally owned and operated arts centre at Yuendumu, is on the southern fringes of the Tanami Desert.

Alma’s paintings depict the power and majesty of the night sky. The rights to paint and pass on the knowledge of “Seven Sisters Dreaming” and “Milky Way Dreaming” have been handed down by her father, the last Japaljarri who knows all of the songs and ceremony for these dreamings.

The cluster of seven stars in the constellation Taurus, known to us now as The Pleiades, represents seven women of the Napaljarri skin group. Jukurra, the morning star, is a Jakamarra man who is in love with the seven Napaljarri sisters and is often shown chasing them across the night sky. In a final attempt to escape from him, the seven sisters ascended into the sky to become stars.

Alma’s work is well represented in a number of Australian and overseas galleries that specialize in quality Aboriginal Art. A recent exhibition featured Alma, her mother Bessie and daughter Sabrina. It was titled “Mother, daughter, granddaughter: Three generations of Yuendumu Artists.”

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