Jesse Garbe is a recent graduate of the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (2004).

His paintings are vigorous studies of the psychological implications of sight. Taking into account the gaze of the sitter and that of the observer, as well as his own, he paints himself in relation to the individuals around him. For the past six years, he has displayed a continued interest in studying his own relationships, as well as the relationship between painter and sitter. For this reason his paintings take place within the context of his studio and are painted with live models.

Jesse’s paintings depict family, friends and colleagues as well as more formal relationships, such as the relationship between himself and his art dealer. His paintings are autobiographical reflections and more often than not deal with common relationships and the complexity that exists within them. They are also concerned with the nature of human perception and the fusion of formal structure and subjectivity.

Jesse has been influenced by many painters, artists and thinkers. The work of painters like Lucian Freud and Euan Uglow and thinkers like Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jean-Paul Sartre have been of particular interest to him over the past few years. But Jesse states that the most influential people to his work are the individuals around him.