Jasmine Jan

The natural world is my source of inspiration. I love the patterns, textures, colours and details that can be found in the plants and animals of my surrounding environment. I am also intrigued by the paintings and scrolls of Chinese painters and calligraphers and their styles and approach to art where balance, harmony and consideration to capturing the "essence" and "spirit" of their subject matter is much more important than creating a photographic representation. I also like to weave a story or create a narrative in my paintings where the viewer has the opportunity to discover something more about the animal or plants that I am painting. Colour is also something that has a very strong influence on the way I work. Where I live the sunlight is strong, colours are vivid, rich and vibrant and everything seems so saturated with colour that it just wouldn't be right to paint in a subdued and soft watery way. So I will never apologise for the brightness of my work because that is my world and it is the way I see and experience nature in Northern Australia.

Background

Australian born Chinese Artist, Jasmine Jan is based in Darwin, Australia. Working from her studio based on her 105 acre property at Lambells Lagoon Jasmine specialises in painting and drawing plants and animals using a variety of mediums and techniques. Her signature East-West fusion watercolours have received significant attention over the last three years in Darwin, interstate and overseas. In 2007 Jasmine's solo exhibition "Wild Water - Coloured Dust" was featured on ABC Stateline and was broadcast Australia-wide.

Training

Essentially self-trained as an artist Jasmine was awarded two Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Scholarships to travel to Philadelphia (1990) and Maine (1992) in the United States of America to undertake intensive technique training workshops with the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. It was from this training she was able to develop technical expertise to work in a number of mediums such as coloured pencil, pen and ink, chalk pastel, watercolour, ink wash and graphite.

Jasmine has completed a number of art workshops in various mediums such as watercolour with Robert Walter, chalk pastel and graphite with Maxine Thompson and printmaking with Basil Hall to further extend her skills. She will be undertaking further training in early 2009 with the award-wining Chinese-American watercolourist - Lian Zhen. Jasmine has completed a Bachelor of Science degree and a Graduate Certificate in Education.

Teaching and Workshops

Jasmine has developed and delivered art classes for primary, secondary and tertiary level students. She has been a guest lecturer at the Charles Darwin University and delivered drawing and painting classes at the Adult Night School at Casuarina Secondary College in Darwin. Jasmine has developed and delivered technique workshops as a private practitioner and also carried out one on one training with art students. She is currently running a painting and drawing workshop program at Territory Craft and has developed a series of mini-workshops for the Palmerston and Casuarina public libraries.

Group Exhibitions

2001 Tangini Art Show - Kormilda College, Darwin
2002 Territory of Transparency - Darwin Entertainment Centre Gallery, Darwin
2003 Wild, Baked and Flowered - DEC, Darwin
2004 Birdscaped Bushblock - Australian Open Garden Scheme, Darwin
2004 Threatened Species Art Exhibition - DEC, Darwin
2005 Threatened Species Art Exhibition - DEC, Darwin
2006 priNTed - Darwin Visual Arts Association, Darwin
2007 Salt, Sand and Driving Rain - Framed Gallery, Darwin
2007 Guangzhou International Art Fair - Guangzhou, Southern China
2008 A Sense of Place - Darwin Visual Arts Association, Darwin
2008 DECk the Halls - Darwin Entertainment Centre Gallery, Darwin
2009 Under negotiation - National Heritage Trust (Burnett House) Darwin
2010 Work-in-Progress - collaborative exhibition with Glass artist and Ceramic Artist

Solo Exhibitions

2005 Fruit, Feathers, Fins and Flowers - Territory Craft Gallery, Darwin
2006 Wild Jasmine - Territory Colours Gallery, Darwin
2007 Wild Water Coloured Dust - Territory Craft Gallery, Darwin
2008 Dawn Chorus, Breakfast with the Birds - Territory Craft Gallery and DEC, Darwin
2009 Work-in-progress - Tosari Gallery (Gallery due to open in March 2009), Toowoomba
2009 Work-in-progress - Territory Craft Gallery, Darwin
2010 Work-in-progress

Commissions

Jasmine has completed commissions for clients in Australia, Germany, Siapan and Malaysia.
She has been awarded public commissions for visitor centres in Kakadu National Park - Warradjan Cultural Centre and Bowali Visitor Centre, Katherine Gorge - Nitmuluk Visitor Centre and Government House Darwin - Queen's Bedroom.