Jesse Thompson, Hold

Artist Biography
Jesse Thompson is a queer, Naarm/Melbourne based artist whose intimate oil
portraits explore themes of devotion, and the slow, miraculous work of finding
oneself again.
Her practice emerged from a deeply personal journey following the passing of her
mother in 2023, where painting became both a source of solace and self-discovery.
Through this process, Jesse found a profound sense of connection and renewal,
transforming her grief into works that capture the raw beauty of life and human
vulnerability.

Artwork Statement
Painting has emerged in my life boldly and recently, quickly becoming an avenue to
express the profound loss that words have failed to.
‘Hold’ and ‘Still life’ form a series of portraits that stand in memory of my mother,
exploring the threshold that exists between collapse and renewal.
The connection and balance of unfinished, raw surfaces within my paintings is a
constant presence and curiosity. Having worn, slept and torn through linen my entire
life, embracing its tenderness and vulnerability within this series was instinctual and
grounded the paintings further into my lived experience.
I developed the colour palette intuitively; selecting pigments based on emotional
gravity, the tug of certain memories or the resonance of personal relationships.
Where colour does emerge from the linen, I consider it a reflection of precarious
nature of healing and it’s abstract, incremental process that took years to embrace.