Meet the Makers: The Artists Shaping the Pilbara’s Creative Story
The Pilbara is often celebrated for its vast landscapes, red earth, rugged ranges and extraordinary coastline. But woven through this remarkable region is another story — one of creativity, connection and people making art inspired by the places they call home.
Across the Pilbara, artists are painting, making, experimenting and creating work influenced by landscape, ocean, wildlife, culture, community and everyday life in regional Western Australia.
Meet the Makers is a Pilbara Art Collective series sharing some of the people behind that creativity — their work, their inspiration and the stories that make each creative practice unique.
For our first Meet the Makers, we’re introducing four artists from across the region.
Rachael McMurray | Karratha
Carrying a little piece of the ocean
For Karratha silversmith Rachael McMurray, the ocean is more than inspiration — it is woven into the materials she works with and the jewellery she creates.
Rachael is the founder of Abliss Jewellery and creates handcrafted pieces using sterling silver, fine silver and natural ocean treasures, including textured abalone shell.
Having spent much of her life in and around the water, she has always been drawn to the beauty of the sea and the treasures found along the coastline. No two shells are ever quite the same, giving each handcrafted piece its own individual character.
Her work is designed to carry a little piece of that connection to the sea with you — a beautiful example of how place and personal experience can become part of the things we make.
Karratha silversmith Rachael McMurray of Abliss Jewellery with handcrafted abalone shell jewellery
Jodie Thompson | Tom Price
Art grounded in place and community
In Tom Price, artist Jodie Thompson brings more than three decades of experience in teaching, creating and inspiring others through art.
The creative force behind Red Dust Arts, Jodie draws inspiration from the Pilbara landscape, native flora, birdlife and rich local history. Her expressive mixed-media practice celebrates the colours, textures and stories of the region.
But Jodie’s contribution extends beyond her own work. She has shared her knowledge and passion for art with generations of students and community members, contributing to the creative life of Tom Price and the wider Pilbara.
Her work reflects something at the heart of regional creativity — a strong connection between art, place and community.
Tom Price artist Jodie Thompson of Red Dust Arts with Pilbara-inspired artwork
Kate Alexandra | Port Hedland
A little wild, whimsical and unexpected
There is a wonderful sense of freedom in Kate Alexandra’s work.
Based in the Port Hedland area, Kate creates expressive, intuitive artwork inspired by the natural world, Australian landscapes, native flora and fauna, the ocean and the wonderfully imperfect.
Her work moves between recognisable subjects and more abstract, dreamlike worlds. Loose watercolour, expressive marks, layered washes, bold colour and spontaneous linework allow each piece to evolve rather than follow a predetermined path.
For Kate, the splashes, layers and unexpected moments are part of the beauty.
The result is work that feels colourful, earthy and emotional — and perhaps a little wild, much like the landscape that inspires it.
Port Hedland artist Kate Alexandra with colourful expressive artwork inspired by the Pilbara
Elysia Canning | Karratha
Creating with colour, curiosity and play
Karratha artist Elysia Canning approaches creativity with curiosity and a willingness to experiment.
Driven by a lifelong love of painting and colour, Elysia explores geometric forms, vibrant linework and bold compositions. Rather than settling into one particular style, she enjoys creating a small collection, exploring an idea and then moving on to something new.
That freedom to experiment is an important part of her practice.
Her paintings become explorations of shape, colour and movement — sometimes intentional, sometimes spontaneous and often delightfully unpredictable.
It’s a reminder that creativity doesn’t always need to follow a straight line. Sometimes the joy is simply in discovering where an idea might take you.
Karratha artist Elysia Canning with colourful contemporary artwork
One region. Many creative stories.
These four artists are just a small glimpse of the creativity found across the Pilbara.
Their practices are very different, but common threads run through their stories: connection to place, landscape and community; curiosity and experimentation; and the experience of creating in one of Australia’s most distinctive regions.
That diversity is exactly what the Pilbara Art Collective was created to celebrate.
Through Meet the Makers, we’ll continue travelling across the region and introducing the artists, makers and creatives helping shape the Pilbara’s creative story.
Because behind every artwork is a person — and behind every person is a story worth discovering.
Discover more Pilbara creativity
Explore more artists and makers from across the region, discover original art and handmade work, or use the Pilbara Art Map to find galleries, art centres, public art and creative places.
Meet Our Artists · Shop Pilbara Art · Explore the Art Map
Are you a Pilbara artist or maker?
The Pilbara Art Collective is growing, and we’d love to discover more of the incredible creativity happening across our region.