Collection: Valda Napangardi Granites

Born: Alice Springs, NT
Language: Warlpiri
Community: Yuendumu, NT

Valda was born in 1974 in Alice Springs and grew up in Yuendumu.

Valda Napangardi Granites is the grand-daughter of the late Paddy Japaljarri Sims (1916 – 2010) and Bessie Nakamarra Sims (1932 – 2012), two founding artists of Warlukurlangu Yuendumu Community, approximately 300 km north west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory’s vast interior. Valda is married and has one daughter.

Valda commenced painting in 1993, however family and non-art related work commitments kept her from fully developing her career as an artist. She worked with the Yuendumu Old People’s program before resigning to look after her daughter.

In the late 2010s, Valda began to focus more on her Aboriginal art. Valda’s paintings have developed towards the classical black and white Aboriginal dot painting style pioneering by the late and renown artist Dorothy Napangardi. Valda paints one of the most revered Dreamtime stories, Mina Mina Dreaming, the same Dreaming made s by artists from the Mina Mina area, Judy and Maggie Napangardi Watson.

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2019 The Children of the Warlpiri, Art Mob, Hobart, TAS