Jessie Kemarr Beasley
Barkly Regional Arts“My paintings come from my mother’s side. She taught us about the bush tuckers, bush medicine, landscape and cultural stories.”
Jessie Beasley is known for her illustrations of the diverse botanical life of the Wutunugurra region. Jessie’s practice is informed by a foundation of cultural knowledge, her work is notable for her detailed depictions of the bush medicines that grow around Epenarra. Many fine dots coalesce to form blocks of colour against which she places loosely rendered depictions of bush medicines, blanketing the canvas in repetitive rows of joyful flowers.
Jessie’s palette responds to seasonal changes and is often composed of a limited set of similar hues, soft pinks and blues dominate springtime canvases, while yellows and browns reflect the dry season.
Jessie was born in Wutunugurra (Epenarra) in 1958 where she continues to live today. She has developed her practice over a number of decades. Her work is influenced by her mother whose stories formed the basis of Jessie’s comprehensive cultural knowledge.
