Portrait of the Artist Awaiting Prognosis

By Jamie Saxe

This exhibition explores the therapeutic power of art as a means of expression during a cancer diagnosis, the demands of treatment, and the ongoing process of recovery.

Through a body of work that spans abstract painting and found-object sculpture, it reflects both the physical realities and emotional complexities of this journey. Much of the work engages directly with the experience of treatment, translating it into visual language through abstraction. The use of found materials introduces a tactile, grounded element, suggesting resilience, adaptation, and transformation. Emerging from treatment, often with lasting physical changes and lingering fears, there is an enduring search for hope and a renewed sense of self. Within this context, the act of making becomes deeply restorative. Becoming absorbed in the process of creation offers a form of healing—an opportunity to inhabit the present moment and to find clarity amidst uncertainty.

Art functions here not only as expression, but as a kind of medicine, providing space for reflection, release, and renewal. The abstract paintings are strongly informed by a connection to nature, particularly its movement and impermanence. Many works echo natural forces and organic forms, created through fluid, process-driven techniques. Using mixed media, water, inks, and air to manipulate the paint, the artist allows elements of chance and flow to shape the outcome. These methods mirror natural systems, where control is balanced with unpredictability.

Across the exhibition, there is a quiet dialogue between chaos and intention, fragility and strength. The works invite viewers to consider the parallels between the rhythms of nature and the human experience of healing—both marked by change, resilience, and the possibility of renewal.

About Jamie

Jamie is an artist, musician, and composer based in the Dandenong Ranges. Over a 30-year career, he has composed music for film and television while continuing to develop and express his own musical voice through a wide range of creative projects.

Fifteen years ago, he returned to painting, embarking on an ongoing exploration to discover a personal language of abstraction. Central to Jamie’s visual practice has been a distinctive, process-driven approach. Until recently, he avoided direct contact with the canvas, instead applying paint through methods such as squirting, pouring, and blowing, often allowing water to guide its movement. As the water evaporates, it leaves behind intricate traces that reflect the natural flow and energy of the medium. Using tools including syringes, leaf blowers, and carefully controlled angles, he creates dynamic compositions that echo patterns found in nature.

Over the past 18 months, Jamie has begun to challenge this self-imposed rule, experimenting with new materials and more direct forms of application. Despite this shift, his work remains grounded in a desire to evoke organic movement. His paintings exist where chance and chaos intersect with intention, resulting in works that convey a sense of natural rhythm and kinetic energy.

"I create because it has always given me a sense of completeness — a way of escaping inward, of exploring the self. To paint, to make music, to cook, to make — these acts ground me. Everything else rises and falls, but when I create, I am fully in the present. Life becomes immediate, and the moment is all there is."

Jamie Saxe

Main artwork - Portrait Of The Artist Awaiting Prognosis 2024 Mixed Media Collage, ©The Artist
Bio Image by Half Glass Studio