Transparent by Jaq Grantford

“When I first met Lena as a model in a workshop, I thought she was so beautiful I had to repaint her. I asked if she would mind coming to my studio for a sitting with a more studied life painting in mind. It was so insightful speaking to her and hearing her process when she models, how she channels the poses and imagines what the artist must be painting.

“She has modelled in Rome, and now in Australia since moving here. Her modelling is also informed by her own work as an artist. I wanted to paint her in a classical pose, but with a contemporary feel – the drapery of modern times in cellophane.” – Jaq Grantford