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ABOUT JESSIE

Jessie Kanji is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Auckland, New Zealand. Following the migration of her grandparents from Gujarat, India, in the 1940s, Jessie grew up in Wellington. Immersed in diverse influences of Mother Nature, background in medical science, and the rich tapestry of indigenous cultures, her art searches for the balance between order and chaos.

Patterns in her inner world form the lens by which she sees the world. The external environment continuously shapes and informs this internal lens. Exploring the interconnectedness of life, she plays with the elements of connection, movement, space, and colour. Jessie seamlessly transforms her drawing practice through multiple print processes. Through printmaking, Jessie depicts her experiences with the cultures of Warli, Huichol, and Latin-American people. By drawing inspiration from these ancient ways of life, her work seeks to evoke Bhatta Nayaka’s concept of rasa - a state of complete absorption and emotional resonance.

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Education 

2019 Science Degree in Physiology, University of Auckland, NZ

2023 Postgraduate Diploma of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, NZ

Awards

Printopia Print Prize First Award, Tertiary Category 

Selected Group Exhibitions 

2023

Art in the Park: Eden Park, Auckland

Printopia Festival of Original Print Awards Finalist Exhibition 

Cleveland Art Awards Finalist Exhibition - Dunedin, Otago

Reading Between the Lines - Lake House Arts, Auckland

2022

Bledisloe Lane Light Box Installation, Art in the City, Auckland 

Art in the Park: Eden Park, Auckland

Te Ahu Collective: Ponsonby, Auckland 

Cross-Crits Collective Show: Oddly Projects Auckland

Arrowtown Art Union Exhibition: Lakes District Art Gallery Arrowtown

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