JADE ROBERTSON A British/American abstract artist living and working in Paris, France. Born in Chester, UK, 1976. After the completion of a foundation course in art and design at Blacon Art college she went on to graduate with higher honers from East London University in 1998.
Mediums; oil, acrylic pastel and pencil on Canvas and paper.
Jade has lived in New York for 17 years and Vieques and Vieques, Puerto Rico for 4 years. Her living environments and travels have directly influenced her work.
Jades paintings are just at the intersection of abstraction and natural landscapes. She is interested in duality, negative space, dark and light, distance and perspective that in many ways looks and feels like the familiar world around us but is also ambiguous, general and abstracted. One can see she is inspired by the deep sea and the cosmos. “The stars are always a source of wonder and awe to me”
“Abstract painting to me is about the action that follows the action. The information is given for the next move, like a game of chess, but there’s a million different ways and no solution. It is a beautiful and at times treacherous journey and a deep insight into something far bigger than myself”
“Paint; I think, behaves like an organic material, it has fluidity that most other mediums do not have. Painting to me is like dancing naked through a forest, free diving or swimming in a lake using the body as much, if not more than the mind”
Recent article from November 2024 edition of Art Seen Magazine
From an early age, I was immersed in a world of creativity, constantly drawing and painting. Our home was filled with countless books and the sounds of classical music playing day and night, often interspersed with the bluesy tones of Muddy Waters. Inspiration was omnipresent, making artistic expression a natural part of my life. However, after years of designing prints for fashion and furnishings digitally, I felt an urge to return to traditional methods, to put pencil to paper once again. My journey in art took shape after earning a BA Hons in printed textile design in London. The vibrant streets of New York, particularly Harlem, called out to me, offering endless opportunities for exploration. A stint on a Caribbean island, where I sketched its lush flora, and time spent drawing the historic churches of Buenos Aires rekindled my passion. Four years ago, I made the pivotal decision to pursue painting full time, leaving behind the gritty streets of NYC for the elegant boulevards of Paris. It was a spontaneous move, guided by instinct. “I live my life instinctively,” I reflected. “It just made sense to me.”
Nature is an undeniable force in my work, I am it. My extensive travels such as boating up the Amazon, staying with indigenous tribes and navigating the dense forests of Vieques with a machete, deeply informs my work. These experiences, from the weird sounds of tropical birds at night to days spent spear fishing and sailing with dolphins, are to me; the layers of paint I apply to the canvas, the story’s I tell. I went to Crete solo in the off season and felt the fear in a strange land once again where I could barely speak the language. I sat by the sea and felt safe, but I never played it safe. I channeled the primal beauty and fear of nature, spent a night on a deserted island where a sea of white butterflies woke me. I feel like I have lived my life in a dream filled with nature
One of my art teachers, James Lancel McElhinney, who taught life drawing at the Art Students League, New York influenced my approach in just a few classes. The pastoral colors of François Boucher and Turner's abstract landscapes have also left a significant mark on my style. Turner’s relentless quest to experience nature, even tying himself to a mast to feel the wind, resonates deeply with me. I share Bruce Lee's philosophy of being one with the elements. I love Cai Guo-Qiang’s work, how he uses both controlled explosions and intricate design and manages to captivate his audience with his dynamic yet deliberate nature, and his seamless fusion of chaos and order in both paintings and firework displays has profoundly inspired my painting process.
My work is a part of me and contains many layers. These layers are my story. There’s so much intrigue in every person, art is an extension of me, I employ a variety of techniques and tools that reflect the layers of my life experiences. Extreme contrasts are catalysts in my work, manipulating large and small shapes, as well as dark and light tones, to evoke a sense of mystery and fascination. Multiple layers of paint unveil this complexity, with tiny flecks of bright colors like fluorescent pink or yellow introducing unexpected elements. I favor unconventional tools—squeegees, spray bottles, and always my hands—to apply the paint.
My paintings are right at the intersection of abstraction and landscape. Memory’s of country and in a mass of swirling colours. I want to surprise myself with delight and intrigue when I paint. For me, the essence of painting lies not so much in what is represented, but rather in how it will affect myself and the viewer.
PRESENT AND PAST SHOWS, PUBLICATION AND REPRESENTATION
2024 October, The Saatchi Other Art Fair
2024 August, Art and Light, Group show
2023 September, Art21, Paris, France
2023 April, Art and Light Gallery, South Carolina. “Hide and Seek”
2023 January, Café du Cycliste, Nice. Gravel and Road shoe campaign
2022 September, Art and Light Gallery, Group Show
2022 September, Vivant Organic wine, Paris. Map project, Painting large scale water colour maps (including birds eye view of buildings and gardens) for publication.
2021 Her agent in New York sells originals and prints to a number of galleries, shops and Museums in New York.
2019/20 HAUS Studio Interiors, South Carolina.
2017 Kunstraum Gallery, Brooklyn.
2016 Her map work is published in “Vieques and Culebra “by Nieves Victor Manuel.
2015 Gallery Galleon, Vieques, Puerto Rico, Water Colour Paintings, SOLD OUT SHOW
2015 El Blok, Vieques a 2015 running and biking guide to the island.
2011 Claver Gallery, Brooklyn.