Full of botanical motifs, Slater’s lyrical paintings combine gestural brushstrokes and translucent colours with the freshness of drawing. Using collaged elements set amongst sweeping fans and figurines, these floating visions set in motion dynamic traces starting with observations drawn from her extensive photographic archive of the Costa Rican jungle. She finds ways to manipulate elements of nature that already appear abstract; such as the digital and pixelated quality of reptilian scale or the cellular, structural qualities of foliage. Expanding this microcosmic detail through calligraphic styles actually hints at the development of neurological pathways during our early years. Developing a link between the act of painting and the ideas of top down and bottom up processing in psychology her work mirrors visual characteristics found in nature with the inner architecture of the human brain and how this could be translated or filtered through the subconscious. 

Jessica Slater (b. 1985, Penzance, UK) is based in Cornwall near St Ives, she completed her BA at Cardiff School of Art in 2008. Her practice focuses primarily on painting and drawing. Recent Group exhibitions include; Hastings Contemporary (2022), Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Cornwall (2019), Paper Cuts, Saatchi Gallery, London (2018), GIFC, Costume House, Toronto (2018), Tripp Gallery, London (2017), CGK Gallery, Copenhagen (2017), No Format Gallery, London (2015), Porthminster Gallery, St.Ives (2014), Edgar Modern, Bath (2013) View Art Gallery, Bristol (2012), Alexandra Palace, London (2012), Oriel Canfas, Cardiff (2010), The Millennium Centre, Cardiff (2008). Slater was shortlisted for The National Open Art Competition in 2012.