About the Artist

Ben Jelfs is an Adelaide-based oil painter whose expressive figurative works explore character, belonging and collective identity.

Drawing on over twelve years of experience as a professional illustrator and storyboard artist, his paintings combine strong composition with instinctive, gestural mark-making. In 2012 he was awarded the Illustrators Australia Gold Award for children’s book illustration.

Working between caricature and psychological portraiture, Jelfs exaggerates and simplifies form to capture the essence of his subjects—seeking emotion, atmosphere and personality over literal likeness.

His recent work focuses on Australian football supporters, exploring the humour, devotion and rituals of fandom through portraits of the faithful, the fanatical and the emotionally invested.