RHODES Editions is delighted to introduce our newest artist, Amy Beager.
We are launching Beager’s debut print on the 5th June. More details to follow.
Beager, who graduated in 2010 with a BA in fashion design, has since won international awards, completed residencies, and featured in both exhibitions nationally and internationally. She won the Ingram Prize in 2022; an award created specifically to support and uplift the best emerging British artists.
Beager’s art practice is rooted in the experience of womanhood, heavily charged by the contemporary context she is working in. A recurring figure is the swan maiden, a woman who partially manifests in the form of the elegant bird. While this is inspired, in part, by folk tales, Beager also uses this motif to explore how femininity both provides power but also can keep women trapped.
Her form and composition further this liminal narrative. She combines brushstrokes to create her figures and, as she starts with only a rough plan, the shapes she forms are incredibly personal and fluid; there is an immediacy to their creation. This also gives her the freedom to experiment and combine textures, both within her figures but also creating variation and connection between the foreground and landscape. The blurring of boundaries between nature and humans represented in the swan maiden, is then continued in her style, form, and composition.
Central to her practice is Beager’s use of colour. Her palette is bold, featuring acid greens and electric pinks alongside earthier shades. These choices aren’t simply decorative; they carry emotion, amplifying the atmosphere of the work and guiding the viewer’s response. Colour washes, expressive brushstrokes, and line detailing interact and create depth across the surface. There is also a further contrast created in this choice of colour. While her compositions are reminiscent of Renaissance portraiture, Beager rejects the sexist narratives of the time by recreating the woman as a subject in almost contrasting colours, reclaiming ideas of beauty, elegance, and womanhood.
A teaser of the upcoming release
We are thrilled to soon be announcing an exclusive limited-edition print, bringing Amy Beager’s unique artwork into a new and accessible format. Whether you are a long-time admirer or discovering her work for the first time, this release offers the chance to own a piece of an artist whose style, and fanbase, continues to grow.
