Canadian artist Jessie Babin has loved drawing since a very young age, eventually going on to study at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, where she earned a BFA in fine art. She began her career as a full-time artist in 2013 and has exhibited her work in both group shows and solo exhibitions across Canada.
Kit King I, graphite and pencil on paper, 22 x 30 in.
Most of Babin’s works are created using graphite or colored pencil on paper. “Portraits and figures have always been my favorite subjects,” she says. One of her most recent works, Tension I, depicts the muscles in a woman’s neck as she tilts her head backward. There is a distinct cut running down the center of the drawing. “I wanted to incorporate the element of risk in this piece by planning to cut directly into the paper after completing the drawing portion,” says Babin. “The incision would either ruin the drawing entirely or make the composition more interesting. Interestingly enough, when the drawing is viewed from one angle, the incision lifts a side of the paper and pushes back the other, adding a sculptural element to the drawing. From the opposite angle, the cut is almost invisible.”
Tension I, graphite and pencil on paper, 12 x 12 in.
In recent years, the artist has begun experimenting with various technologies and integrating them into her creative process. “I’ve explored the fusion of realism with more abstract elements and introduced elements of risk into my practice, such as physically cutting into my drawings,” she explains. “In many ways, my work serves as a space for exploration—a way for me to process ideas and engage with the things that interest me.” —
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