A key concept of Pearless’ artistic practice is the concept of the artist as a seeker, searcher or archiver of knowledge in search of self realisation and understanding of the world. The work aims to illustrate intuition, a search for logic and comprehension of the state of being or the experience of knowing through abstraction. This investigation is a search to visually define a presence in the world that proposes the possibility of art as a contemplation space for self projection. Seeking to define factual visual aspects of painting - colour, form, space, material - alongside metaphysical aspects - intuition, perception, otherness - the work attempts to explore the notion of contemporary art as a signifier of the present moment.

Jessica Pearless is a visual artist, creative and holds a Master of Fine Arts (Hons) (2011) from Elam School of Fine Arts. Jessica’s artistic research in abstraction centres on painting, site responsive installation and sculpture. She is the kaitiaki of The ABSTRAXT ABSTRAXT Manifestations. She received the Inaugural Artists Alliance Artist in Residence (2011); a prestigious AMP National Scholarship (2011); Merit Award,The New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award (2013 & 2014). In 2014 she was a Finalist in the prestigious Westpac Women of Influence Awards in the Arts Category. In 2020 Jessica was named in the University of Auckland’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list as a Changemaker/Influencer.