Geraldine Napangardi Granites / Birds that Live Around Yuendumu (7536-22)

Artwork is accompanied by Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendumu) Art Centre Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance

Geraldine Napangardi Granites was born in 1978 at the remote Australian Aboriginal community of Yuendumu, in the Northern Territory, 290km northwest of the town of Alice Springs. She has lived there all her life. Geraldine has two sisters and one brother who also paint.

Geraldine’s mother is Alma Nungarrayi Granites, a strong participant in the arts centre in Yuendumu. Her grandparents – Paddy Japaljarri Sims and Bessie Nakamarra Sims (both have now passed away) – were two of the art centre’s founding painters.

Geraldine has four children: two sons and two daughters. She is a shy person who is very involved with her large extended family and enjoys being around children and helping the family’s grandchildren.

Geraldine learnt by observing her grandfather’s art as well as the late Judy Napangardi Watson’s work. When Judy visited Yuendumu, Geraldine loved to listen to Judy’s stories about a special country, Mina Mina. Mina Mina is a Warlpiri place to the west of Yuendumu. At Mina Mina, a group of ancestral women gathered a vine called Ngalyipi which grows on the Kurrkara (desert oak). Ngalyipi is a sacred vine to the Napangardi and Napanyangka women and is used as a ceremonial wrap or as a strap to carry Parrajas (wooden food bowls). Ngalyipi also has medicinal uses.

Geraldine also paints alongside her mother Alma and sister Sabrina and observes them while they paint. She is working hard to develop a modern interpretation of the traditional culture.

Group Exhibitions
2007- Shalom Gamarada Aboriginal Art Exhibition, Shalom College, Sydney, NSW
2010- 30 under May 30, Mossenson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2010- Gecko Gallery Exhibition, Gecko Gallery, Broome, NT
2013- Gestuelles – The Art of Transmission by Aboriginal Desert Women, IDAIA – International Development for Australian Indigenous Art, Alliances Francaises in Australia.

This painting depicts one of many ‘jurlpu’ (bird) species that live around Yuendumu. The bush around Yuendumu provides many different habitats for birds to live in. Many bird species live around waterholes and rivers, like the ‘pirniny-pirninypa’ (black fronted dotterel). Others live in the spinifex country, like the ‘nuwiyingki’ or ‘panngarra’ (cockatiel). Still others make nests in trees, like the ‘juwayikirdi’ (grey crowned babbler).

People hunt some of these species for meat. The most popular species to hunt today are the ‘yankirri’ (emu) and ‘wardilyka’ (bush turkey). People also used to hunt ‘yupurru’ (spinifex pigeon) and ‘ngapilkiri’ (crested pigeon), among others.

A number of bird species tell people messages. Several species tell people when rain is coming, including the ‘jintirr-jintirrpa’ (willy wagtail) and ‘kalwa’ (crane). The cries of other birds, like the ‘kirrkalanji’ (brown falcon) and ‘ngamirliri’ (bush stone curlew), can make children sick. The ‘paku-paku’ (crested bellbird) and ‘kurlukuku’ (diamond dove) are messengers of love songs.

People also use messages from birds to help them hunt. The ‘juwayikirdi’ (grey crowned babbler) and ‘piirn-piirnpa’ (yellow throated miner) cry when goannas are nearby. People know to run quickly when these birds cry, so that they can catch the goannas.

In Warlpiri culture, ‘jurlpu’ (birds) are associated with a number of different ‘Jukurrpa’ (Dreaming) stories. Some are even associated with major ceremonies, including the Jardiwarnpa fire ceremony.