Luritja woman Rhonda Sharpe was born in 1977 in Alice Springs and is an artist working out of Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, in the Larapinta Valley Town Camp. She is often credited as the pioneer of the artists' practise of repurposing donated mission blankets to create soft sculptures. Inheriting skills passed down through her aunt Dulcie Sharpe, Rhonda predominantly works in textile and printmaking. Known for producing autobiographical works that reflect her life and lived experiences in Alice Springs, Sharpe combines bright colours and intricate detailed patterns that evoke a sense of happiness and joy while often referencing her personal struggle with alcoholism.
The Yarrenyty Arltere Artists centre is a significant place in terms self-determination, one that has a direct focus on cultural survival, identity, livelihood and both individual and community wellbeing. Like most Aboriginal art centres, Yarrenyty Arltere builds self-esteem, confidence and is concerned with and driven by traditional law and culture. Prior to the establishment of the arts program, the community was gripped by poverty driven crime, substance abuse and violence. There was a significant lack of access to mainstream services, with a long-term issue of unemployment due to the marginalisation in Alice Springs. However, through the implementation of the art centre with a localised program and cultural governance, the centre emerged as a place of safety, healing, respect and belonging while simultaneously improving financial stress and living issues.
Her first work, notably a memory-informed self portrait, saw Rhonda depicting herself as a child as she didn't have photographs of herself when she was young. The artwork was significant in constructing cultural memories and further its politics, providing Rhonda with a tangible way to remember her life while reflecting the powerful concepts of the past, present and future. This form of memory and concepts of time highlight the non-linear narrative and cyclic nature of time and space within First Nations knowledge systems.
Sharpe's work is held in major public collections across Australia; she has exhibited extensively in Australia, and her work has been shown internationally. Since 2012 she has regularly been a finalist in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, winning the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award in 2013 and 2015; in 2021 Sharpe won the 20th Anniversary Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize.
