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rraykana, 2025

Thelma Beeton

Paintings on canvas, dimensions variable

Thelma Beeton, a proud Palawa woman, paints with bold clarity - her vibrant works honouring the Tasmanian Emu, her cultural totem, with colour and conviction. What began as a creative rivalry during incarceration sparked something deeper: a practice rooted in cultural reconnection, healing, and strength.

In rraykana, emus aren’t just emus. They’re family - past and present - walking across canvas as guardians of memory and spirit. Through personal research into ancestry, language, and traditional practices, Thelma’s paintings have become acts of return: to Cape Barren Island, to story, to self. Each brushstroke pushes back against erasure. Each work holds knowledge that nearly slipped away.

This is painting as declaration. Bright, bold, and straight from the heart, Thelma’s work doesn’t just represent survival - it celebrates it.

about the artist

Thelma Beeton

insta: @thebeethelmabeeton