Kate Beynon Collaborative spirits

Inspired by storytelling and auspicious imagery, Kate Beynon often features family and self-portraiture in her practice. Here, she appears with her 22-year-old son Rali Beynon, an emerging artist and animator, and Tudo, their beloved 14-year-old rescue Staffy cross.

Recently, Kate and Rali collaborated on a series of small paintings of supernatural ‘mask spirit’ figures, drawing on their mixed cultural backgrounds including Cantonese–Malaysian, Welsh/Celtic and Nordic, with Afro-Caribbean and Native American Pima ancestries from Kate’s husband and Rali’s father, Mike. ‘I depicted Rali, Tudo and I wearing vibrant, futuristic outfits adapted from the series. Imbued with talismanic elements, it’s a way to embody our collaboration while “raising the spirits” during anxious times,’ says Kate, a nine-time Archibald finalist.

‘I was thinking of the challenges Rali may face navigating the world as a young, creative person of colour, while also wanting to project this as a strength for potential ideas to emerge.’

Based in Naarm/Melbourne, Kate says, ‘My family acknowledge the Kulin Nations, alongside Gadigal Country and the traditional custodians of the lands on which the Archibald Prize tours. In solidarity we pay respect to all First Nations people worldwide’.

Another of Kate’s self-portraits is included in the Archie 100 exhibition.