The Fabric of Faces

Melbourne-based artist Jessie Breakwell, a finalist for the National Emerging Art Prize, will present her first solo exhibition at Michael Reid Southern Highlands this June.

Breakwell’s portraits, rendered in earthy tones with sparse facial detail, inhabit a space between abstraction and intimacy. Over the course of two decades, she has refined a visual language rooted in her admiration for Brett Whiteley and Henri Matisse. But the distinctiveness of her work lies in its synthesis of personal history and far-flung influence—most notably her father’s years in Uruguay and her own travels across South America. The vibrancy of the region, its colours and cultural traditions, weaves through her compositions, infusing them with a grounded warmth that offsets their bold formalism.

The foundation for Breakwell’s artistic sensibility was laid early. Her childhood home was a world of intricate surfaces—her mother’s jewellery and fabric designs featured pelts, beaded textiles, and richly layered materials. These tactile beginnings shaped her understanding of texture and form, elements that remain central to her practice today. In The Fabric of Faces, this legacy manifests in portraits that reward a slow and deliberate engagement, drawing viewers closer with their layered simplicity.