Harriet Jonas
BA (Hons) Fine Art and Art History
Solitude
A painter and photographer who builds her work around themes of the ‘self’ and isolation, Harriet Jonas uses oils and acrylics to create large scale works depicting the human form. Much of her work consists of self-portraiture both capturing a physical likeness and her unconscious mind. Harriet’s practice is a way for her to discover how she has changed since being at university and through lockdown.
“I have never made trials or experiments. Whenever I had something to say, I have said it in the manner in which it needed to be said” – Picasso
For Harriet painting on a large scale allows for more time and freedom to experiment as her process involves a lot of expression, for example she doesn’t overly plan her pieces so they emerge as she paints, allowing an unconscious impression of herself to be portrayed. In her practice Harriet wants to create thought-provoking work that everyone can take something from. Viewers may find it unsettling or comforting and some may take it at face value. This body of work harnesses the therapeutic powers of art to re-discover both personal identity and who she is as an artist. Which is found in both outcome and process. In her photography, she mainly uses film to benefit from the element of chance and the process of developing film and the dark room.
Previously Harriet has exhibited work in exhibitions by Paradime Collective and the ‘Night Shift’ exhibition by Dilemma Collective and is looking forward to continue to exhibit.
