The first thing that strikes you about these paintings is the bold and intense colours that Jessie employs. But the beauty of these is not just in their vibrancy, but also in a deeper message that they contain, which Jesse masterfully communicates through his work. The underlying message of Jesse's art borrows its strength from the long-running battle of First Nations people to express themselves freely and to be recognised as full partners in defining Australia's future.
Wealth of our World
In the Torres Strait region of Australia, the Waru (turtle) and Kaiar (crayfish) are important resources for not only the natural world but also for people living alongside them. Jesse painted this work due to missing home and the current climate crisis, wanting to highlight a message around this. Gold veins run throughout the painting as a message about what we value. If we valued and saw our natural world with the same value we place on gold and riches perhaps we would do a better job of taking care of this world.
Totems
These are the totems of Jesse's grandfather (Athe) and grandmother (Aka), from the Beizam (shark) and Kodal (crocodile), which are both important to Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) people. He painted this down south as a result of missing home, where he had spent time talking with his mother about Senpol (St Pauls) and her parents.
©In the case of copyright infringement, it is important to remember that the artist still owns the copyright to the images.
Disclaimers: paintings in images are not to scale. Prizes are limited edition art prints, not the original paintings.
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