BESSIE NAKAMARRA SIMS
A Warlpiri women, Bessie Sims was born in the 1930s and has had a long successful career and remains a chief contributor to the regional style of art associated to Yuendumu in remote Central Australia. Though often assisting her husband Paddy Tjapaltjarri Sims in the making of his art, Bessie has, nevertheless, not lived in her famous husband's shadow, for her own work has long been widely admired and collected. In 1987, for example, Bessie's work was selected to feature on the cover of a catalogue associated to an exhibition of Yuendumu paintings shown at the Sydney Opera House. Further achievements include her participation in an exhibition called
`Dreamings: Art of Aboriginal Australia`, which was shown in the USA during 1988-89. The list goes on and includes Bessie's work being part of major art collections and featured in publications.
Collections include:
National Gallery of Australia
South Australian Museum
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory
Australian Museum, Sydney
Art Gallery and Museums, Glasgow
Major private collections worldwide
Publications include:
Diggins L. Myriad of Dreamings
West M. The Inspired Dream
Caruana W. Aboriginal Art
Morphy H. and Boles M. S. (Eds) Art from the Land
Morphy H. Aboriginal Art
Copyright: photograph Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association
Text: Milanka J Sullivan