Biography

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

Alma Nungarrayi Granites lived in Yuendumu, an Aboriginal community located Northwest of Alice Springs. She was the daughter of Paddy Japaljarri Sims (Dec) and Bessie Nakamarra Sims (Dec) both founding artists of Warlukurlangu Artists. She painted a large array of stories all of which were passed down to her from her father and generations before him. All her paintings tell creation stories that relate to the artists traditional country. Alma was married and had 4 children. She had many, many grandchildren and spent a lot of time helping to take care of them. Alma attended the local school and then continued her studies at Kormilda College in Darwin. She then finished a Teacher’s assistant diploma through Batchelor College and worked at Yuendumu school teaching for many years.

She painted with Warlukurlangu Artists from 1987 until 2017. In 2007 she decided to explore her painting skill in more depth; she started working at the art centre every day to produce a body of work that has expanded her knowledge of the dreaming (Jukurrpa) as well as the development of her unique technical artistic style. She was a strong participant and supporter of Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre in Yuendumu, and has exhibited in group exhibitions nationally and internationally, culminating in many solo shows, both nationally and internationally including one in Singapore in 2010 and one in Germany in 2011.