Jeanette Verster

Member of Creative Fibre New Zealand, Member of New Zealand Regional group of The Surface Design Association.

Here I Am But AM I Here . 14th March – 22nd April 2024.

As we lose Jeanette back to Wellington she has installed her solo exhibition Here I Am But Am I Here in the gallery. The walls are transformed by her intricate laminated, folded, painted and stitched paper works, delicious pieces combining rust and indigo dyed elements and a series of cast handmade paper maps works.

As always there is an eclectic range of beautifully executed works and in this exhibition these works are developed around the story of Jeanette’s life and the many moves and journeys she has undertaken. We are given an insight into the depth of her journey and this of course adds to our understanding of her art practice. Here we see reference to the sands of Namibia, the castles of Europe, the verdant landscape of Taranaki among other places.

I had the opportunity to do a written interview with Jeanette before the exhibition and am recording it here for everyone to read and enjoy.

• As a migrant to NZ how do you think choosing Aotearoa as your ‘place’ has affected your perception of your own identity. Has this shifted with time – with the length of time you have been living here? 

I have lived in two other countries before moving to NZ. Unlike many people who are fleeing from war-torn countries, it was a choice to come here and I made an effort to embrace New Zealand as my home. Even so, I am still regarded as an immigrant, 25 years on! 

• Does the call of your roots, your homeland, still come to you – maybe in fleeting flashes of nostalgia or long valleys of homesickness? If so, can you feel this affecting how you work, what you want to work with and what you want to speak about? 

No, not really. Home is in NZ, but I don’t fell particularly connected to anywhere. My upbringing was very Eurocentric and I strongly identify with the art and cultural history of Europe. Nevertheless, elements of the art and materials of NZ and the Pacific have appeared in my work on occasion.

• Global Culture is ever increasing as we bed more and more into the digital        age, do you feel your art practice has something of this transcendence about it? Through your works do you speak of universal conditions and thoughts, of our commonalities as persons or are you drawn to examine differences and unique aspects connected to specific place.

I am always amazed by the universal pattern language that is as old as mankind. Some patterns for example, that are widely used in African art were used by the ancient Greeks and are often used in Pacific art too. I am drawn to rhythmic pattern but mostly use it purely decoratively trying to avoid any political or social implications.

• What are your principal materials in this exhibition? Do they have cultural significance or have they been selected for their materiality for the purpose you have in mind? 

Paper is my favourite material because it is incredibly versatile. Paper making is a centuries old tradition in Japanese art but I choose or make specific papers for the purpose of an intended project. Often it is combined with fabric, paint, thread or other materials that I think adds to the whole. 

• Your making process would appear to be very complex, multi stepped and overlapping. Do you have a clear idea in mind at the start of each work of exactly how it will be executed or do you allow a seminal idea to take root and grow in its own structure and ultimate outcome?

I usually have some idea of what I would like to achieve, but only rarely do I know exactly how it will happen. Often I make small drawings, models or test ideas with recycled or cheap paper but even then, once it is scaled up, there could be a lot more trouble-shooting required. 

• In your notes to this exhibition you observe that ‘a true destination is not a point on a map but a culmination of experiences gathered along the way’. How has this awareness shifted for yourself personally as you created this particular body of art works? At some level would you describe these works as a retrospective of your life?

The variety of media and techniques are in some way biographical. For various reasons I have acquired an array of craft skills over the years and it is always fun to combine these to create new work.  The down side of working in many disciplines is the (sometimes ordered) chaos in my little work space, which perhaps reflects my life too. Maybe it would literally be better to stick to my knitting! 

• The question in the title evokes thoughts about dreaming and making dreams come true, the disconnect between the imagined and the real, the differences between chosen and imposed changes, and just how unattainable knowing is without the passage of time. When you speak of our desire as humans to have closure are you referring to a reconciliation with loss or the acceptance of life being a passage of unknowns in both the realm of interiority and physicality?

Closure can be both reconciliation and acceptance but also in some sense, it is about completion or resolution and a conscious decision to move on, even if it may be difficult.

• Is closure connected to control? 

I think of ‘closure’ mostly in terms of the unexpected happening that has to be processed, physically or mentally; perhaps it is more connected to things out of control. 

• Your overall body of works (not just for this exhibition) speak of an exploration of change, movement, diversity, upheaval in the vast range of materials you work with and the techniques you use on those materials. Is this a part of your search – a way to express what we are all experiencing – a constant search for our own truths, our own strength to claim our place? Or have your journeys led you to believe you have no such claim, you are just custodial and transient? 

As mentioned earlier, the many changes in my life has given me opportunities to explore a vast array of techniques and materials that I now use as a personal expression of my joy in making. The place I hope to claim is that of ‘maker’ of work rather than that of social commentator. The viewer may see a different meaning (or none at all) in my work than what I had in mind, it does not matter. 

• Do you know how you will know when you have reached the culmination? That you are now where you belong? Can you even imagine what this might feel like – the knowing, that is. 

I can’t know because there will always be new challenges, obstacles and doubts. I don’t even know what the culmination might be! On a less poetic note, some of the techniques I use are by their very nature quite repetitive (some might say meditative) but I will freely admit to often asking myself “Am I there yet”.  

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Jeanette Verster has settled in New Plymouth and brings to her textile practice a wide ranging variety of expressive, conceptual works as well as practical functional objects for everyday use and pleasure. We are very excited with her works and feel very lucky and honoured to promote her magical makings.

How lucky we are again to have Jeanette Verster involved with our annual holiday period collection: The Beach – A Summertime Collection 2023-24.

The call was for artists to convey something that Beaches meant to them personally. Here is Jeanette’s writing on these works:

This body of work is a representation of vague memories of beach walks on the wild Namibian coast that in places are littered with ancient, decaying ship wrecks. In most cases all that remain is unrecognisable iron objects that are alternatively hidden or exposed by the ever-shifting desert sands of the Namib and the relent waves of the Atlantic Ocean. On a calm day the gentle swells of the blue sea belie the furious nature of the storms that caused countless ships to come to grief.

Jeanette was the 2023 Winner of The Taranaki Art Awards Fibre Prize. Congratulations to Jeanette. As part of that prize Jeanette won three weeks of Artist Residency here at our studio gallery. We are super excited to be having her on site and can’t wait to see what will come from her time here in the little taradise residency. Her dates for being here at present are 11 – 18th March 2024.

‘from out of the blue studio gallery’ is so excited to have a new collection of works from Jeanette Verster in the gallery. (Dec 22nd 2022 – Jan 30th 2023)

The Beach – Paper, Books & Baskets Dec 22nd 2022 – Jan 30th 2023

There are a wide range of mixed media framed works included in this exhibition

As well as this Jeanette has accepted the concertina book challenge created by Wendy Watson and has worked on the original book form in her own distinctive manner.

These books are super long and double sided so they do have to be viewed in person top be fully appreciated.

Here is just a little teaser image

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Jeanette created three works in response to the exhibition call for ‘Aotearoa – Land of the Long White Cloud’ on from January 20th 2022 – February 28th 2022, the annual regional exhibition for members of the NZ regional group of the SDA.

The first of these works is called Severe Weather Warning( 50cm x 50 cm). Jeanette writes about the work:

Our location in the shadow of a mountain, by the sea and in the path of winds from every direction make for rather dramatic weather events. Taranaki is one of the NZ regions that is often subject to severe weather. The expressive colours in this work are reminiscent of the dark colours of a landscape before a storm hits and the red lettering is the colour of the lettering of the Metservice severe weather watch warnings.

Partly Cloudy With Scattered Showers. (61cm x 51 cm)

The geography of NZ makes rain part of life. Traveling across mountainous regions visibly patchy rain provides texture to the sky. 

“Drizzle, clearing later”. ( 1.15m x 1.15m)

Living on an island where we are preoccupied by the weather.  In our location drizzle is very common, especially in winter. When it clears the light changes and with that one’s mood lifts too. 

More details of these works are on the shop site.

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Jeanette returns to ‘from out of the blue studio gallery’ with a Solo Exhibition. This is a real thrill for us at the gallery and has been long in the making and is much anticipated. The title is “I Haven’t Lost My Marbles (Yet)”. more details of the exhibition are on the news page: https://fromoutofthebluestudiogallery.com/i-havent-lost-my-marbles-yet/

As part of this exhibition Jeanette has revealed a little more of her creative journey to us:

I was raised in Namibia in a community with a thriving art and music scene and I remember attending countless exhibitions, concerts, theatre and opera with my parents and super-talented siblings. At school I have enjoyed both Art, Music and Science subjects so it is not too surprising that I have attended a Conservatoire for Music after finishing school. 

I have gained my NZ Teaching qualifications and registration as Performing Arts teacher after immigrating to NZ. My interest in Visual Art has never waned and as a side hustle I have taught countless arts & craft workshops. My Performing Arts Teaching career was diverted into set and wardrobe design, and I was the recipient of numerous awards for this work. 

Since moving to New Plymouth three years ago I have been able to spend more time making art and explore techniques and ideas that have been brewing for a number of years. I have been fortunate to receive recognition of this work by winning several awards. 

Experimentation is key to my art practice and current work is dictated by materials or techniques that intrigue me at the time. 

A wonderful handmade coffee table book has been created by Jeanette for the “Made Over – Preserving and Reinterpreting Collection” at ‘from out of the blue studio gallery’ until May 10th 2021. Jeanette speaks about our future drawing on the textiles of our past. Here she speaks about the work.

For our children to have a future it is more important than ever before to limit waste. The choice of childrens’ clothing and a pediatric text as main materials for the collages is deliberate in this context

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For the exhibition, Dreaming of the Future, Jeanette created three works, the first stands alone and is called After Dinner. Jeanette describes her thinking behind this work

“The superfine fine steel filament intrigued me while experimenting with wire in my work. Once I have overcome the issue of not being able to see what I am knitting it reminded me of a pot scourer. I just could not ‘unsee’ that image and adding the paper “dishcloth” completed the picture. Seemingly mundane, it is nevertheless a symbol of shared meal and good memories. I dream of having my loved ones all around a table once more.”

Size: H 380mm x W 305mm

Materials: Hand knitted steel filament, handmade abaca paper, dye.

Jeanette also continued with her exploration of traditional characters of the live theatre, especially in the European tradition. Two works in the Columbine Series have been created to present Jeanette’s longing for the reopening of live theatre on a global scale.

Columbina I (SOLD)

Live theatre across the world has been hard hit by the pandemic. The stock characters from the Commedia dell’Arte have been in existence for centuries, surviving plagues, pandemics, war and more. The Columbina in this work is unlit, waiting in the wings to go back on stage when the time is right. It is my expression of hope that live theatre, while a dream now across most of the world, will soon be possible again.

Size: H 420mm x W 295mm

Materials: Watercolour, silk stitching, copper wire hand knit, handmade abaca tissue, metal findings

Columbina II

Live theatre across the world has been hard hit by the pandemic. The stock characters from the Commedia dell’Arte have been in existence for centuries, surviving plagues, pandemics, war and more. This Columbina shows the readiness of the spirit of the theatre to reemerge and change from the dream to the reality of live theatre as soon as it is possible again.

Size: H 420mm x W 295mm

Materials: Watercolour, silk stitching, copper wire hand knit, handmade abaca tissue, metal findings.

Jeanette has her own web site : jverster.com check it out.

Just recently Jeanette was featured in the magazine So To Answer Your Question. This article can be seen online at https://www.sotoansweryourquestion.com/2022/08/who-is-hidden-gem-in-contemporary-art.html