Nanushka Meets

    Jess Cochrane

    Nanushka, as an Official Frieze Week partner, previewed its inaugural exhibition with Artist-in-Residence Jess Cochrane at its Mayfair flagship on October 14, followed by an exhibition at the Sanctuary from October 15–19. In response to Nanushka’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection, ‘Grow’, Cochrane’s exhibition mediated on heritage, self-identity, and the evolving nature of femininity and strength.

    London-based Australian artist Jess Cochrane creates figurative oil paintings inspired by everyday life, blending Post-Impressionist influences with contemporary subject matter. Exploring her Hungarian-Australian heritage, her bespoke works — spanning painting and ceramics — reflect on growth, motherhood, and transformation.

     
     

    1. WHAT DOES ART MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY? 

    Art is life. I am so fascinated by life and living it. I am fascinated by how mundane the universal experience of existing is, yet it holds so much depth of emotion. I’m particularly interested in how we come together, how we make sense of where we come from, and how we consume our world accordingly. I think there’s great joy and sometimes great humour in interrogating our lived experience. I like to focus on the joy.

    2. HOW DOES YOUR HUNGARIAN HERITAGE INFLUENCE YOUR ARTISTIC VISION AND PROCESS? 

    I find that Heritage influences my practice in a symbolic / metaphorical space. Exploring my ancestry is very much a cathartic process. 

    I am a third generation Hungarian-Australian. There wasn’t a lot passed down to our family when my grandfather emigrated from Hungary, culturally speaking. So how can I, as an artist, make sense of what I do and do not know about myself? Where can I step foot in a Hungarian world and culture that is, in a way, part of me but yet I don’t fully understand? And most importantly, how can I celebrate this story?

    3. YOUR WORKS THAT WERE ON DISPLAY AT THE SANCTUARY IN OUR LONDON FLAGSHIP STORE RESPOND TO THE NANUSHKA FALL/WINTER 2025 COLLECTION’S NARRATIVE, ‘GROW’. HOW DID YOU INTERPRET AND TRANSLATE THIS THEME INTO YOUR ART? 

    I interpreted the theme from a very personal perspective that follows on from a larger body of work that I have been making for a show next year. When I started to interrogate concepts within Hungarian folk motifs, I found a lot of connection to womanhood and motherhood. With Nanushka, it felt very fitting to explore this line of thought, as I find there is a connecting thread between myself and Sandra, both being artists and mothers in our own right. I always think it’s important to connect and expand on the creative narratives women make, so this really just felt like a perfect collaboration to me.

    4. PAINTING CAN OFTEN FEEL LIKE AN ISOLATED PRACTICE. HOW DO YOU STAY CONNECTED TO THE BROADER ART COMMUNITY AND OTHER ARTISTS? 

    Although painting can be isolating, I never really feel alone. Having a practice that speaks directly to my own lived experiences of gathering and consuming helps, as it gives me a great excuse to have dinner with friends. As far as staying connected to the broader art community, I am very lucky to have an incredible team of gallerists behind me that make the art world incredibly fun and exciting to be a part of.

    5. WHAT RITUALS OR PRACTICES HELP YOU STAY GROUNDED IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? 

    Being in the studio as much as possible is the best way to remain in the headspace of painting for me. There are often times when I don’t feel like doing the work or I’m stuck on the next move to make. Sitting in the studio with the work and just being in that energy is important. And practicing patience. Equally, I find spending time with friends and family to be an integral part of my inspiration. Sitting across the table from friends always sparks new ideas for me so it’s really about having the perfect balance of these two things.  

    6. WHAT EMOTION OR SENSATION WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR ARTWORKS TO PASS ON TO THOSE EXPERIENCING THEM? 

    I hope above all they bring joy, familiarity and curiosity to the viewer. I hope they serve as a reminder to contemplate and interrogate the wonder that exists in the everyday.

     
     

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