Jelly Green b. 1992

Jelly Green is a contemporary British–New Zealand painter whose work is rooted in a deep engagement with the natural world. Having spent extended periods immersed in rainforest environments across Brazil, Borneo, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand, her practice draws directly from these experiences, translating them into vivid, large-scale paintings.

Green’s work captures the dense, immersive beauty of primordial forest canopies while confronting the violence inflicted upon them. Her paintings balance a sense of awe with an unflinching awareness of environmental destruction, bearing witness to the widespread loss and degradation of arboreal ecosystems.

More recently, her focus has turned to the wildfires that increasingly threaten forests worldwide. These paintings depict the moment of ignition and escalation, capturing the raw, elemental force of fire as it takes hold. Through dynamic compositions and heightened colour, Green conveys both the destructive power and the unsettling allure of these events.