WG: Can you talk about your choice of colour pallete for the works?

SJ: I sometimes choose a selection of colours before I have decided upon a subject, though more often than not, these evolve into a very different set of colours by the time I have completed the painting. Colour is a very delicate and sensitive matter to deal with in my work. It is from my hand, but at the same time it is ‘out of my hands’ in a way that I cannot fully control. Whether I like it or not, it is deeply influenced by my physical environment, personal character, past experiences and even the emotion of the moment that I am holding the brush. It provides a sense of intimacy, but is not always generous.

WG: Human figures are present in much of your work, however they are often partially obscured or concealed, is this a conscious decision?

SJ: In my recent work I explore painting using minimal brush strokes for figures. Images are often de- identified and patterned. I try to realise images on my canvas without too much information and identity. I like viewers to see the human figures as a ‘figure’ without a specific identity so I can leave a space for the viewer to gain a different perspective. I find it interesting that even if I draw a hand or a face rather than a whole human body it is normally enough for the viewer to recognize it as an existence of a person.

Memories can be recalled differently by everyone and they are often altered, lopsided and fragmented. It cannot be guaranteed that the most significant component of a scene is the one that will be kept as a memory. Sometimes it is small trivial aspects of a scene that become noted. When my paintings are viewed as a whole, the scene within the canvas often seems cropped and the objects and human figures appear incomplete.