Warria
Donna Beningfield
Warria [detail] 2025
Portrait of Peter Warria
Acrylic on canvas
121 x 91 cm
About the Artwork
Peter Warria is a Goemulaig man from Mabuiag Island in the Torres Straits, who lives in Townsville. Legally known as Peter Utromu, he has chosen to honour his mother by carrying her Torres Strait name. While he no longer has contact with his father, he acknowledges and respects his Papua New Guinean heritage. Peter holds close the memory of his late mother, embracing her culture, traditions and carries the star of peace in his soul.
In a past life, he was a Kiribati Elder held in great regard by his people. In this life, he mentors many young people through his professional work and his passion for rugby coaching. Aged only 33, he wears the gravitas of an Elder as he contemplates his purpose in life. He has experienced profound trauma, yet he grounds himself in the sand, ready and able to share his wisdom and love with the world.
About the Artist
Since graduating from TAFE in 2006, Townsvillebased artist Donna Beningfield has held 14 solo exhibitions featuring over 100 portraits in different styles, mediums, and concept development, as well as having been a finalist in The Percivals on 10 occasions since it began in 2007. Through her daily practice, she has come to believe that it is not enough to simply paint someone as you see them. She says: “I continue to push boundaries, to develop new and exciting ways to work with people that encompass many different strategies. Lately, I have been encouraging people to express their emotions through marks which I transcribe onto the canvas.”
Donna is inspired by the work of fellow Australian artists Rick Amor, Judy Cassab, and Heather Betts, whose treatment of the subject and themes of isolation, loneliness and the struggle to understand the human predicament implicit in their work resonates with her own.