Paddy Japaljarri Sims b. c.1917

  • Artist (Painter)
Warlpiri speaker and one of Warlukurlangu's founding artists. He was involved in the Yuendumu school doors project in 1983 and participated in the company's first group show a few years later. Since then his work has been included in acclaimed exhibitions such Dreamings (USA and Australia 1988/9) and Aratjara (Europe and UK 1993)and is held in major public and private collections. He participated
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Born c.1917 at Mt Nicker, NT, south-west of Yuendumu at the site of Kunajarrayi, which is associated with the Initiated Ngarrka (Men) and Warna (Snake) Dreamings. He is Warlpiri and lives at Yuendumu, where he is one of the leading artists in the community. He was one of the main artists and motivators of the Yuendumu Doors project, and collaborated with Larry Jungarrayi Spencer , Jimija Jungarrayi and Paddy Jupurrurla Nelson on the painting of Munga Star Dreaming which was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia from the first Yuendumu exhibition in Sydney in 1985. The artist paints Yiwarra (Milky Way), Ngarlkirdi/Warna (Witchetty Grub/Snake), Pirntirna (Woma Python), Liwirringki (Burrowing Skink), Wanakiji (Bush Plum) and Walpa (Wind) Dreamings. His work has been in numerous group exhibitions of Warlukurlangu Artists throughout Australia since the Yuendumu painters’ first show at the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs in October 1985. His paintings have also been shown in major overseas exhibitions including the Dreamings exhibition which toured North America in 1988-9 and l'été Australien at Musée Fabre, Montepellier, France, 1990. In 1988 Paddy Sims was selected by the Power Gallery, Sydney University, to travel to Paris with five other Warlpiri men from Yuendumu to create a ground painting installation at the exhibition Magiciens de la Terre at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. The trip took place in 1989 and the painting met with wide acclaim.

Writers:
Johnson, Vivien
Date written:
1994
Last updated:
2011

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Related collections
  • WA Museum of Anthropology (The Berndt Museum of Anthropology), Perth, WA (collected in)
  • Christensen Fund, San Francisco, California, USA (collected in)
  • South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic. (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
  • WA Museum of Anthropology (The Berndt Museum of Anthropology), Perth, WA (collected in)
  • Christensen Fund (collected in)
  • South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic. (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)