Jessica Michelle Le Roux visual artist
"Creating is a part of the way I know how to exist. For me, its an integral reflection of daily experience, observation and growth."
artist statement
"As a South African female artist, my work is dedicated to documenting the socio-political landscape of our time. I strive to highlight the butterfly effect of what is passed on through generational worldviews and to bring mindfulness to our purpose as individuals. I am inspired by rural scenes, fleeting moments of observation, and imagery that speaks to South African existence. In my two-dimensional work, I record traces of human presence within the vastness of rural and peripheral landscapes. Drawing from impressionistic techniques, my work is imbued with layers of history and contemporary markers.
Through my bronze and ceramic sculptures, I create both relief and figurative works that explore our deep sensory connection to the world around us. South African humour—a potjie pot of global culture, quirky traits, and idiosyncrasies—often finds its way into my art. By engaging with the markings of the past and the structures of the present, I encourage mindful contemplation of our existence in harmony with both the natural world and society. My work seeks to inspire awareness of the evolving worldviews shaping our communities.
Ultimately, I create to document the moments that have made a lasting impression on my heart. My practice contributes to the ongoing conversation of who we are, how we serve our purpose, and how we live together in this shared world—with an emphasis on preserving the natural environment and fostering peaceful coexistence."
artistIC BACKGROUND
A brief overview of the artist's roots.
"I have always been intrigued by visual dialogue and the role art plays in society, which naturally directed my studies. I graduated in 2007 having obtained a BA at Tshwane University of technology. I was born in 1989 in Modimolle and have resided in Limpopo, Gauteng, The Western Cape, the Karoo and once again returned to the Western Cape where my family currently resides.
My career has been enabled through practicing as an artist, facilitating art workshops, managing galleries and, art consulting for both corporate and private collections."
artistIC MEDIA
Interdisciplinary approach
"Interdisciplinary: integrating methods and knowledge from different disciplines by utilising a genuine synthesis of approaches. I find the purpose of my practice often transcends in building up layers of combined media processes within bodies of work. For example, digital collage is developed from originals and selective mixed media materials are utilised in originals. In addition, I often embellish ceramic work with non-traditional materials and make use of unusual patinas in my bronze finishes. I often create two-dimensional backdrops for my three-dimensional work, allowing me to shape environments and immerse a space with an experience embodying conceptual frameworks through interactions, technology and installations."
what i CREATE
My practice is shaped by an ongoing dialogue between diverse themes and materials, each contributing to the conceptual frameworks I explore.
In both my painting and sculptural work, I am a purist at heart. Scientific formulation, preservation techniques, and archival standards are deeply ingrained in my process, ensuring the longevity and integrity of each piece. I dedicate significant time to testing material interactions, substrates, and products before committing to a body of work, allowing for a considered and sustainable practice.
Interdisciplinary art-making lies at the core of my creative process, particularly in my digital collage work, where various mediums and approaches inform and enrich one another—seamlessly transferring from the tangible to the digital. The archival limited edition prints on canvas are what leave my studio, while the original process work remains with me, serving as both reference and reflection.
Figurative sculpture
Many of my depictions deal with trying to represent archetypes of human emotion and existence, reflecting on the ‘worldview’ by considering our surrounds, influences and the patterns we find instiled within society and our direct environments. Much of my work is created within a calculated relation between two-dimensional and three-dimensional facets. I have an enduring fascination with the definition of a matrix. The secondary pictures in my layered works often show how we would form if the details of the primary image would reform with greater coherence. In essence, my work explores the journey of knowledge by depicting scopes of reality, observations and experiences in the quiet, thoughtful spaces of the mind.
Atmospheric LANDSCAPES
It is so interesting to hear of varied art interpretations as the brain naturally wants to make sense of and identify with what is being viewed based on the individuals life experiences and understanding. Art withholds an uncanny ability to transport the mind to a different headspace. For me, impressions of the natural world enable this experience in a manner, unlike any other. Human existance is subtly portrayed in the landscapes depicted through silhouttes , road signs text or trails to emphasise the vastness, impact and scale of our existence.
DIGITAL collage
In my practice, digital collage enables the conceptual framework to speak strongly, facets within each piece build up like layers of memory triggers and nostalgia as the sense of a experience is captured. I work with details and textures documented in my original artworks, historical archives, clippings and bits and bobs horded over the years.
Artist Biography
Jessica Michelle Le Roux (b. 1989) is a South African sculptor and interdisciplinary artist whose work explores socio-political landscapes and rural narratives. Through her depictions of remote places and subtle impressions of society, she invites reflection on shared histories, evolving worldviews, and our relationship with the natural world. Jessica graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from Tshwane University of Technology in 2010, majoring in sculpture, painting, and printed image. Her creative disciplines are closely interconnected, often informing one another as she builds immersive environments and layered imagery.
At the core of her practice is a curiosity about the ripple effects of human action—the butterfly effect—and how generational thought patterns shape our collective experience. Her work encourages mindfulness, drawing attention to the ways we live, remember, and interact with both society and the earth. Her signature style includes the use of negative space, richly textured impasto brushstrokes, atmospheric landscapes, quirky signs, and grounded figures. A vibrant and earthy use of colour runs through her paintings and sculptures, creating a strong visual cohesion across disciplines.
Her digital collages, often rendered in black and white, evoke the aesthetic of film negatives and are composed of digitally layered originals. These monochrome works contrast with her moody, impressionistic landscapes, which aim to reveal humanity’s underlying presence and ways of living within the vastness of the world. Jessica’s sculptural pieces frequently draw on figurative expression and references to sensory or spiritual experiences. Text, whether embedded within the work or revealed through artwork titles, often serves as an entry point into the deeper narratives that underpin her practice throughout disciplines.
Jessica’s work is held in private and corporate collections both locally and internationally. She has exhibited with AVA Gallery at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair and has been selected as a finalist in several of Africa's most prestigious art competitions, including Sasol New Signatures, Thami Mnyele, and the Absa L’Atelier Art Awards. She is currently working on a new body of work titled Sit Still. Her work was also recently published in Revolve:R, Edition 4, an international collaborative project distributed to museums worldwide.
Beyond her studio practice, Jessica is involved in arts initiatives and community projects, contributing to broader conversations about creativity, connection, and the pivotal role of art in society.
