Jazzy

From a series of paintings on panel depicting Jazz musicians, these works form part of a wider body of work that traces the cultural and historical narrative of Jazz and Blues. Each painting is executed in oil on limed wood panels, handmade in a small factory in Italy, reinforcing the materiality and craft that underpin the work.

My relationship with Jazz began in youth, rooted in an early fascination with New York and Harlem. I was drawn to black-and-white films of the 1930s and 1940s, captivated by the virtuosity and elegance of performers such as the Nicholas Brothers, Cab Calloway and his band, and the musicians who defined the sound and spirit of the era. The Harlem Renaissance remains a pivotal influence—an extraordinary moment in the evolution of Black cultural and creative expression. The migration of Black communities from the American South to New York, and Harlem in particular, transformed the area into an epicentre of music, innovation, and Black excellence. The aesthetic of this period—its poise, confidence, and self-determined style—continues to inform my visual language.

Jazz musicians recur throughout my practice as enduring symbols of resilience, improvisation, and creative freedom. Operating outside convention, they embody strength, individuality, and the ability to transform lived experience into expression.