Born in 1944 in Nairobi, Kenya, Jeannine Cook is a highly celebrated metal point artist based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. She is recognised for her work in Australia, Japan, the US, Europe, and beyond. Tanzanian-European by heritage, British-American by nationality, Jeannine is one of the very few artists worldwide specialising in silverpoint drawing, a shimmering medium nearly 2000 years old that uses silver, gold or other metals to make marks. Jeannine's subjects range from realistic floral studies to abstract explorations of bark and stone.
Jeannine Cook's Early Career & Inspiration
Jeannine Cook grew up on her family’s farm in the Northern Province of Tanzania, near Arusha. From an early age, her mother taught her about the correct botanical structure and petal colour of countless flowers, the cultivation of coffee, and aromatic plants destined for the perfume trade. This exposure planted another seed within Jeannine, the genesis of her love for all things nature. Her grandfather, who was a photographer, introduced her to the patient practice of monochromatic photography and drawing.
Jeannine’s Practice
With a passion for environmental issues, her art transcends nature's past and present. From hurricane-struck cedars, like burnt silver skeletons, to stones that hark back to ancient geological shifts, Jeannine's practice makes use of myriad natural ingredients charged with hidden historical depth. Working in-studio and en plein air, the artist gives full attention and respect to every location she works on, highlighting the endless complexity and uniqueness of nature across the globe. Her intuitive and organic arsenal of materials comprises washi paper, coloured pencil, silk fabric, gold and silver foil, cotton and more.
Exhibitions & Projects
Jeannine's metal point drawings have been exhibited internationally and can be found in the permanent collections of over twenty public art institutions in Europe, the US and Australia. This includes the British Museum; the Victoria & Albert Museum; BAMPFA in Berkeley, CA; the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC; the Western Australian Museum and the Consell de Mallorca in Palma, Spain, among others. Jeannine received the Award for Excellence with Georgia Artists, Abernathy Arts Center, Atlanta, GA, United States (2016) and won the Juror’s Choice Award at Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA, United States (2014).
