Author: jessikah

Gloria (2017) is a tribute to silent film star, Gloria Swanson. I was inspired by both her independent way of thinking and her inimitable beauty. She was a woman who knew her own mind. At the peak of her fame, she rejected a lucrative studio contract, in order to produce her own films. Like the…

Background I painted Anna (2017) to honour one of the most influential ballerinas of the late 19th and early 20th Century. Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) was a woman who defied social convention. She was atypically tall for a ballerina and cursed with extremely arched feet and weak ankles. Yet, she persevered with her craft and developed…

Vida Garcia (1908-1970) was my great great aunt. She had the honour of being one of the first female pharmacists practising in Australia. Although I never knew her, I wanted to honour her memory with a painting. She was one of five sisters: Rose, Vera, Rae and Thelma. Thelma was my great-grandmother. While Vida was…

Hilda (2017) is a tribute to my great-grandmother, Hilda Gertrude Finley (1886-1974). I was named after my great-grandmothers. Hilda was my mother’s paternal grandmother. While my father’s maternal grandmother, Floortje (Fleur) can be seen in my painting, Family (2014). I was exceptionally close to my grandfather, Miles and he always spoke with the highest regard…

I began painting Tokyo (2014-2017) when I moved to one of the most densely populated cities in the word. It was a challenging experience, yet it was also a great inspiration for my art. Although Tokyo is a very modern city, it was my exposure to the traditions of the Japanese culture that I found…

Paris In 2011, I went to Paris on a holiday. I ended up staying for three years. Although I had gone there seeking love, I wound up staying for myself and finding my true spirit as an artist in the process. I have never had any formal training as an artist. Yet, in Paris I…

I began this self-portrait when I first moved to Tel Aviv in 2008. I was living in Florentin, a very colourful area known for its street art and interesting inhabitants. It was here that I began to experiment with painting. I would often paint on pieces of wood or found objects discarded in the street.…

Oma (2017) is a painting of my grandmother, Betty Niesten (1913-2014). I painted this piece to honour the third anniversary of her death, aged 101 years old. Over the years, she inspired my art with her beauty and her strength. Oma was the subject of my painting, Timeless (2013), which served as a testament to…

Consciousness (2017) began its life in 1970 as a collection of sunflowers painted onto a piece of cardboard. I wanted complete it in my own style, in much the same I have re-envisaged other pieces in my grandfather’s portfolio. I worked with Miles from the grave in Collaboration (2017), which had been left unfinished since…

War (2017) is inspired by a black and white photograph of my grandfather, Miles, taken in the 1940’s. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during the Second World War. In spite of a lack of experience, he enlisted as a photographer using his older brother, Robert’s name. He learnt everything he needed…