Audrey Rhoda

Audrey Rhoda is an Australian contemporary artist whose encaustic paintings explore the space between figuration and abstraction. Working with layers of molten beeswax, pigment and Damar resin, she creates richly textured surfaces that reveal and conceal in equal measure, inviting viewers into works that are as much about memory and emotion as they are about the figure itself.

With a practice spanning more than two decades, Audrey has developed a distinctive visual language defined by luminous colour, tactile surfaces and an intuitive approach to composition. Her paintings emerge through a process of layering, scraping, fusing and reworking, allowing each mark to become part of the work's evolving history. The physicality of encaustic painting mirrors the emotional depth of her practice, where traces of what has come before remain embedded beneath the surface.

Rather than depicting the figure literally, Audrey distils gesture, presence and feeling into evocative forms that exist between recognition and imagination. Her works encourage quiet contemplation, inviting viewers to bring their own memories and interpretations to each painting.

Audrey's work has been exhibited widely throughout Australia and is held in private collections both nationally and internationally. Celebrated for her mastery of encaustic and her deeply intuitive approach to painting, she continues to push the expressive possibilities of the medium while creating works that are both timeless and profoundly human.

“I make art from a place of joy.”

Music is at the heart of my practice. Every painting begins with a soundtrack, and the rhythm, emotion and energy of the music become part of the work itself.

At the end of each day in the studio, it's "wine o'clock". I take off my apron, kick off my studio boots, turn the music up and sink into the sofa beside Barbara, my faithful studio companion. Together, we reflect on the day's work over a glass of red or two.

I think of both life and painting as works in progress. None of my paintings are ever truly finished—only abandoned until further notice. I love returning to old canvases, uncovering new possibilities that weren't visible before.

One of the greatest pleasures in my practice is turning a painting upside down and deconstructing its surface. I paint over, scrape back and conceal what once existed to reveal something entirely new. The process feels much like an archaeological dig: traces of previous decisions remain beneath the surface, quietly informing what comes next.

Reworking a painting is an act of optimism. It requires letting go of certainty, embracing risk and resisting the urge to be precious. That freedom—to continually reinvent, discover and transform—is what keeps painting endlessly exciting for me.