Jesse Thompson
Jesse Thompson is a self-taught, queer portrait artist based in Diamond Creek (VIC), whose portraits are not merely depictions of faces but cartographies of loss, devotion, and the slow, miraculous work of finding oneself again. Her works explore intertwining themes of estrangement and connection: the grief that follows the loss of someone beloved, the complicated terrain of relationship that both anchor and wound, and the bravery requirement to move forward while still honouring what is mortal and therefore, fragile.
Materially, Jesse’s works carry vulnerability in their very making. Her raw, often intentionally unfinished surfaces reflect the precariousness of life and the hesitations of the grieving mind. Her use of handmade linen grounds of the paintings in tenderness – an analogue to touch, care, and memory. Jesse’s colour palette is chosen intuitively; pigments are selected by emotional gravity, by the tug of certain memories, or by the resonance of personal relationships. The result is a visual language that feels at once instinctive and precise.
Looking over her recently planted native garden, Jesse’s studio welcomes you with vivid colour palettes, leafy indoor plants and a paint splattered concrete floor – the perfect place to inspire young and old minds alike.
