Jacquelyn Fang Greenbank

Jacquelyn Fang Greenbank is a New Zealand artist who uses materials to explore the complexities of identity and heritage.

Jacquelyn is of Chinese and European heritage, and her work often uses food as a way to convey subtle and witty messages. Last night, Saturday 23rd March, the Left Bank Art Gallery hosted a “Show-and-Tell” of her work that is to hang in the gallery for a month. As the artist unwrapped and unrolled works she talked about their meaning and the ways in which they were made.

Jacquelyn uses many different mediums and techniques to tell her stories. From cast bronzes of broccoli poodles, satsumas, peanuts and Weet-Bix, some of which are made to hold hand-carved wooden representations of incense, to printed banners of fruit and vegetables with the artist’s face embedded in them, and bright yellow neon signs of banana skins, the artworks are a reflection of the merging, and sometimes, the clash of cultures. Many of the pieces in this show are textile-based: a shaggy, woollen hooked rug in the shape of an egg and the wall-hangings among them. You can see some of the pieces on The National website here.

Thank you to the artist and the Left Bank Gallery for an informative, fun and enjoyable evening.

The show runs until 20th April 2024.