JESS JACOBS
530 West 25th Street, New York, NY
New Zealand-Samoan artist Jess Jacobs paints luxuriant landscapes that exalt the beauty of the Pacific region. Immersing herself in local history and her familial roots, her bond with Samoa ignites, sparked by stories of a grandmother’s childhood in Apia alongside Robert Louis Stevenson. A dedicated researcher, her passion unfurls historical colonial narratives, the impact of globalization, and the urgent reverberations of climate change in the Pacific.
Beyond artistic expression lies a deeper resonance—a poignant call to safeguard the Pacific’s intrinsic beauty and cultural legacy. Jacobs’ art embodies impermanence, celebrating resilience, regeneration, and the eternal cycle between old and new, urging observers to embrace change while preserving the essence of what defines us. “Just as the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, sometimes we need to shed our former shell and take on a new paradigm shift,” she says. “This regeneration, growth and transformation, dark and light, new life, and death of the old is portrayed in my work and I embrace growth, beauty, life, hope, and its preservation from a feminine perspective.”
JESS JACOBS ON
As a self-taught artist of New Zealand-Samoan descent, I explore the connection between my inner experiences and global issues through a Pacific lens, adorning the canvas with lush foliage, and figurative and symbolic elements. My work in research provides depth and insight into historical colonial narratives, globalization, climate change, and their impacts on the Pacific. I portray the inherent connection to nature and the natural world and its importance for sustaining life. Exploring themes of light and dark, life and death, I invite viewers into my inner world, symbolizing regeneration, hope, beauty, divinity, and the rich myths and legends of creation and evolution.
For inquiries, sales@agora-gallery.com
