bio

Jess de Zilva is a London based painter of psychological allegories.

She was born in London where she spent her early years with her Sri Lankan father, Liechtensteiner mother and her siblings. As the family divided, her life continued in Liechtenstein and in Switzerland where she completed her foundation art studies.

In 2001 Jess returned to London to study Fine Art at Camberwell College of Arts, then took break from the art world to re-evaluate where she was heading. She earned a living painting and decorating and studied specialist paint effects & faux painting, all the while learning a great deal about materials and processes. In 2015 she began focusing on classical painting methods and techniques, including portrait painting, and studied at the Sarum Studio, Atelier of Fine Art, in Salisbury under the tutelage of Nicholas Beer.

Jess has evolved into a realist painter whose psychological allegories bring traditional portraiture into magical scenes.

She is the former artistic director of Women in Art which administered the Holly Bush Painting prize. She regularly exhibits, is a member of the artist groups ArtCan and Visarte.li.

AWARDS ↓