Annalise Jennings, “Fractured,” 2023. Oil Paint and coloured pencil on wood canvas x3- 40.5 cm x30.5 cm. White pencil on black paper, A4. Oil paint on wood canvas, x2- 20cm x20cm. Oil paint on primed canvas- 13x18cm. Image courtesy: the artist.

“Fractured” (2023) is a serious of portrait and landscape paintings that explore my relationships with my family members through the recent experience of divorce and the ‘fracture’ of our family structure. It was created using fine brushes and oil paints on unprimed and sanded wooden canvases for small details. Since my father has recently relocated to Queensland, I have painted the beach surrounding his new apartment, along with other places from my memory that we used to frequent on family holidays many years ago. In order to reach the point I did with this body of work, I conducted interviews with family members and produced transcripts of their words that informed my decisions during the painting process regarding their facial expressions. The portraits were based on the emotions each family member experienced discussing the divorce- my mother was extremely emotional. She spent a long time conversing with me, whilst my father preferred not to discuss it with me. I have chosen to present the paintings asymmetrically with my father distanced from my mother and siblings to represent the family divide and fracture.

Overall, the process of creating this body of work was a healing process for me and allowed me to have meaningful conversations and spend quality time with my family.

Furthermore, the painting process also allowed me to sit and reflect for many hours during the production. Through the form of portraiture, I explore the various emotions uncovered during interviews and emotional conversations with my dad, mother, sister, and younger brother. This work has served as a method of healing not only for myself but my family as we come to terms with our new family structure.

Instagram: art_byannalise