Artist

Rita Kemarr Beasley is an Alyawarr artist from the small community of Wutunugurra (Epenarra), nestled in the foothills of Ilytwelepenty (the Davenport Ranges). Beasley was born in the small community, and has lived her entire life in Wutunugurra (Epenarra).

Beasley artistic practice commenced in the early 2000s, when outreach programs first brought art workshops to Wutunugurra community. Due to a vision impairment in one of her eyes since birth, Beasley began painting under the guidance of her sisters Jessie and Topsy Beasley. Over time, however, she developed a natural fluency with the materials and developed a confident and entirely individual approach to painting. 

Beasley’s depictions of Country are intuitive, fluid, and expressive. Her minimalist landscapes depict the pearlescent trunks of bloodwood trees standing stark against richly coloured backgrounds in a palette inspired by the Davenport Ranges. Using large blocks of colour, Beasley builds layers upon layers of paint, evolving and re-forming her compositions until the work is complete. This process creates a topography of marks and ridges on her finished canvas, resulting in rich, textured works.

Known for favouring small canvas’, in 2020 Beasley began to expand her signature painterly style to a larger scale. This evolution of her creative practice allowed her unique visual language to flourish, and her practice continues to garner increasing critical acclaim and in 2022 Beasley was selected as a finalist for the 2022 National Emerging Artists Prize, a national platform to identify, promote and support the most promising emerging visual and ceramic artists in Australia.

In 2024 Beasley was invited to present her debut exhibition at Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne.

© The Artist, Barkly Regional Arts and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne 2024

For an extended CV, please contact Alcaston Gallery at art@alcastongallery.com.au