Jessie Rawcliffe

Project Title: Gazer

Locations:

High Street, New Regent Street / 31 Cathedral Square

Description:

Ōtautahi painter and designer Jessie Rawcliffe is a perfect example of the type of artist whose work is a perfect translation for the Little Street Art Festival – the painterly strokes and sense of engagement evident in her figurative works are perfect for capturing a public audience in frozen moments that can never quite be replicated in larger-scale formats. Rawcliffe’s suite of site-specific paintings, with colour palettes inspired by the urban environment in which they are placed catch the audience in unexpected moments. Locking eyes with the tightly cropped figures, the paintings extend the artist’s interest in challenging the dynamic of the gaze, something that becomes even more powerful in the public realm. Created in pairs, the works position the audience in the middle of two glances, unsure if they have become the subject or are awkwardly caught in between a conversation.

Bio:

Jessie Rawcliffe (@jessie.e.r) is a multi-disciplinary artist, designer and occasional muralist based in Ōtautahi. Her paintings are often recognisable for their figurative realism that differs from traditional portraiture as it aims to shift the power dynamic from the viewer to the subject. In 2022 Rawcliffe was highly commended in the Adam Portraiture Awards at the National Portrait Gallery. She has exhibited at the Centre of Contemporary Art and Fiksate Gallery and was a featured artist in SHIFT: Urban Art Takeover at Canterbury Museum.