Jana's recent experience of being submerged in an entirely new environment and subsequently meeting hundreds of new people in a very short period of time has prompted a new direction in her work.
She has become acutely aware that 'the flesh' is much like 'the character' in that it is in a constant state of change and development. Our human experiences and interactions are so complex and layered; often guarded and often staged; frustrating and restricting our ability to know each other.
Currently, she is exploring the notion of ‘Being Known’ through a series of portraits. She is drawn to the tension of creating an impression of something or someone, whilst celebrating the mediums used as the ‘fabric’ of the impression - the paint, the brush and the canvas.
Her painting process involves building the picture plane with brush strokes, whilst leaving parts of the canvas undeveloped emulating the effect that the progression of time has on our ‘character’. She aims to enable the viewer to trace her brush, offering them a ‘window’ into the past whilst illuminating the obscurity of it. Her constructional process further allures to the manner in which situations and moments in life might influence, build and shape us.
Additionally, deciphering non-verbal cues from each other is part of our daily functioning. Here, the viewer is invited to engage with these portraits as individuals. Nicknames of the sitters have been used to name the paintings, offering the viewer more information into the intimate past or presence of each individual.