15 Questions with... Jemisha Maadhavji

This series aims to showcase the varying approaches creatives take to making art and how their relationships to the so-called art world differ, but also reveal what unifies those responsible for the art we love.

Jemisha Maadhavji is a Leicester-based figurative painter known for her pattern-rich portraiture. She has an MA in Fine Art from De Montfort University, Leicester, and is a vital voice in the city’s creative community. Her work has been shown in exhibitions across the UK, including South London Gallery, Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, as part of Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2022, as well as in a solo exhibition at Nottingham Castle Museum in 2023. 

Her forthcoming solo exhibition, ‘I Dream From Where You Are’, opens at Attenborough Arts Centre, University of Leicester, on 9 October and will be on view through 14 March 2027.

1. What is your earliest memory of a work of art? 

Picture books I read as a child. I can remember Disney books.‍

2.Where do you turn to when you're in need of inspiration?

I have an archive of images I like to browse through. I visit exhibitions. I walk.  I enjoy learning and researching about the process of making textiles and jewellery. ‍

3. What do you like to do when you need to take a break from your practice?

I haven’t really taken a break, but I would like to travel. In between painting, I like to read and watch theatre, usually online. ‍

4. Who is your favourite artist? 

There are so many artists! Some artists I refer to are Gustav Klimt, Maria Merian and Frida Kahlo.

5. What's the biggest crime an artist can commit? 

Not allowing time to experiment and try new things.

6. Which gallery or museum should everyone try to visit at least once in their life?

It's difficult to say because there are so many wonderful museums globally.  I would say the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A, and the MOMH Museum in Jaipur (Museum of Meenakari Heritage).

7. What is the worst thing about the art world? 

I’ve not come across anything yet.

8. Whose opinions on art do you actually care about? 

Sometimes it could be the sitters, people close to me, and selected artists.

9. Who are the last three musical artists you listened to?

I like listening to podcasts and watching videos on YouTube. Recent ones include a film about the process of making Meenakari gold jewellery, listening to the academic Siddhartha V. Shah from Columbia University, and an interview with artist Allison Katz on the Louisiana Channel, made by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.

10. What's your favourite colour and why? 

Yellow, pink and green together. I love how they complement each other so beautifully.

11. What three items would you grab if your house was burning down?

My earliest painting, sketchbook and a personal gift from my father.

12. Is there an artistic skill you wish you were better at? 

Painting.

13. What can you tell us about your I Dream From Where You Are, that's about to open at the Attenborough Arts Centre?

It’s an exhibition of recent paintings, drawings and sculpture. It’s an immersive exhibition. The title of the show, I Dream From Where You Are, is named after the painting. The title is quite interesting because it can be interpreted from the sitter's and audience’s perspective. The works explore individuals in unique settings, styled in outfits that fit with their personality.

14. Which piece in the show took the longest to perfect and why?

I don’t think I have been able to perfect a painting, it can only be an attempt. However, the painting ‘I Dream From Where You Are’ has taken the longest time. This was probably one of the most detailed paintings I have worked on. It required a lot of time for the composition and building the layers of patterns. The process felt infinite, and I had to keep going.

15. What impression do you hope people get after seeing your show?

Generally, I’m very open to how people will interpret the work. But for this show, I hope people can sink into a world that they imagine to be in (maybe) and live the experience of the paintings they are seeing. I hope they forget about the world, all the thoughts and things going on around us, and take away with them a sense of bliss.