Ricky Bearghost
"Donald Duck" Weaving comprised of batting, pony beads, handmade ceramic beads, blue and white lace, green pompom trimmings, red feathers, and orange, purple and lime green cords, 2023, 29x38in. ID: A dense and elaborate hanging hand weaving showcasing layers of numerous textiles, strings of beads, and a few miscellaneous objects.
bio
Born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Ricky Bearghost is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes—the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. In 1970, Ricky moved to Salem, Oregon, and in 1988 he relocated to Portland, where he developed his creative practice at different progressive studio programs including Port City, Project Grow, Art From the Heart, Public Annex, and PALS. Over the years, Ricky has become notorious for making vibrant, expressive weavings full of rainbow pony beads and found and scrounged materials. Working on the loom, Ricky commands the cohesive power of warp and weft, drawing color, texture, juxtaposition, language, and chance encounters together creating unique gravitational fields. An active drawer as well, Ricky’s 2D artworks evolve alongside his weavings, often featuring language that proceeds from left to right like skeins of meaning. It’s no surprise that Ricky likes to do word search puzzles in between weavings.
c.v.
2024
Mediums, Helen’s Costume, Portland, OR
Loving Repeating, Elbow Room, Portland, OR
2023
You Come To Life, Art Yard, Frenchtown, NJ
Chair Affair, Community Warehouse, Portland, OR.
A Community is a Small Town, The Reser Center for the Arts. Beaverton, OR
Hot Kids, Elbow Room, Portland, OR
2022
Randy Cat Dog Door: New Works by Ricky Bearghost, Community Warehouse, Portland, OR
Too Much Sun, Alberta Abbey, Portland, OR
New Work by Ricky Bearghost, Webb Gallery, Waxahachie, TX
2021
Soft Material, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
Team Back Together, The Hoffman Gallery at Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
Soft Material, NIAD Art Center, Richmond, CA
2020
Echafaudage, Galerie C.O.A, Montreal, Quebec
2019
Paint It Black, Webb Gallery, Waxahachie, TX
Time>Space>Place, 1122 Gallery, Portland, OR
Ebullience, Gallery 114, Portland, OR
2018
We., Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
Artist Talks and Presentations
2021
Discussion and Demonstration: Soft Material (Part Two), hosted by the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA