Wednesday December 3, 2025
Beverly McIver (American, born Greensboro, NC, 1962)
Clown Portrait, 2018, Oil on canvas, 45” x 34”
“Beverly McIver’s body of work is decidedly autobiographical, consisting of portraits of friends, family, and herself. As she once explained: “I try to face whatever is going on in my life, joyful or painful, through my paintings. I express myself with brushstrokes. It’s how I process my happiness or grief, and how I communicate with the world.” The likenesses are mostly close-up views, closely cropped, presented in rich colors with a lot of black, and painted with a loaded brush.
Beverly Jean McIver was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and did not know her biological father until she was in her teens. Years later, he became one of her primary models especially after she became his caregiver. Her mentally disabled sister Renee was the subject of a documentary that was aired on HBO. In high school, which was largely attended by affluent white students, McIver joined the clowning club. Wearing make-up and a wig, she became a different person: “As a clown…I was transformed, and in many ways more acceptable to society. No one cared that I was black or poor. I was embraced.” from The Johnson Collection website.