Artist Bio 2025
Jan has been an active member of The Tree Veneration Society since 2020. Working across a range of media, including drawing, painting, and digital media, her art celebrates both the magnificence and minutiae of our native forests and ecosystems.
Jan is based in Sydney, living and working on the traditional land of the Wangal clan of the Eora nation. She has a Bachelor of Visual Art from the Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney, 2022 and a Diploma of Fine Art from Meadowbank TAFE, 2012.
Artist Statement 2020
‘The Fine Line‘
Scribbly Gums like this are a common sight in Sydney’s bushland fringe. Its charred and hollowed heart is a legacy of bushfires past, revealing damage so severe it’s a wonder it survived. Yet it thrives, the result of millennia of evolution, able to both withstand the destructive force of fire and embrace its regenerative potential. It embodies the fine line between destruction and survival, fragility and resilience.
After closely observing the textures of its smooth and crumbly bark, the whorls and crevices of its blackened core, I built up the drawing slowly, with layers of charcoal. This sustained focus allowed time for contemplation and meditation, and the process of drawing the tree became an act of veneration.
Instagram: @jangar6431
Website: jangarben.com
