Looking into the Artistic Lens of Jennie Tagini
BY JOY OFASIA
SOLOMON Islands are profound for breeding gifted artists when it comes to producing artworks on canvas – both traditional and contemporary artists have significantly shaped the indigenous natural and cultural landscape of the country.
Jennie Tagini, 23, from the Malaita Province is one of the country’s young and aspiring artists making her mark at the moment.
Talking about what drives his practice as an artist, Jennie Tagini said she discovered her artistic talent at a very young age and continued to expand her creativity into drawing with paper and pencil. In later years, her creativity on paper transcended into hand painting on canvas.
“Since my early days in primary school, I started to explore hand drawing using graphite color and it was in 2017, that I expanded into hand painting on canvas.
“When I was a child in school and at home, I never knew that drawing was my gift, I just did it for fun and later it became my hobby,” she told Solomon Women.
She also described her immediate family – from the likes of her mother, brother, and uncle as creative and innovative individuals who have invested most of their time and effort in crafting handmade products, printing, and dying of fabrics.
In 2012, Jennie was awarded a first prize certificate in an art competition organized by the Honiara City Council on World’s Children’s Day.
“My motivation and drive to become a paint artist got started when I won the art competition in 2012,” she recalled.
Despite, not being enrolled in art classes, the 23-year-old artist is a self-taught and active YouTube learner – she perfected her artistic skills and knowledge by watching online the various artwork paintings, lessons, tips, techniques, and styles of international contemporary artists.
Jennie’s acrylic artwork paintings on canvas are produced within her private painting studio located at her family home at Rove, East of Honiara.
Most of her paintings are portraits and landscapes of the Solomon Islands’ indigenous culture, people, tokens, natural marine, fauna and flora etc.
“My artwork paintings are open for customers who want to buy them and do orders. These earnings from my paintings are to meet my basic family needs.
“I have a Facebook page called ‘Jennies Art Work’ where I promote my various artwork paintings,” she added.