Carla Fletcher

‘JENNY KEE’

Portrait of Australian Fashion Designer, Artist Jenny Kee

Mix Media on Linen, 1.5m x 2m

FINALIST IN THE 2015 ARCHIBALD PRIZE (AGNSW)

Jenny Kee is a pioneer of Australian style and an internationally acclaimed artist and fashion designer, whose work reflects her passion for the Australian environment.

In March 2015, Carla Fletcher was invited by a friend to attend the launch of Kee’s A new beginning knitwear collection.

‘Her vibrant style, electric energy and use of bold colour was everything I was looking for to embody in a new direction in my work,’ says Fletcher.

‘For the sitting I went to the Blue Mountains and stayed in Jenny’s stunning Glen Murcutt-designed studio for a couple of nights. I was not only in Jenny’s home but her spiritual haven and our connection was immediate.

‘Jenny led me on an incredible bushwalk descending into the rugged Grose Valley. We marvelled at the bright yellow wattle, cascading banksias, exposed sandstone cliffs and the dramatic water flow of Govetts Leap Falls. When we reached the bottom we meditated together at the base of the majestic waterfall.

‘We collected ochre, which I later ground down and mixed into the black background of Jenny’s portrait as a direct connection to her home and our time spent together.’