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'Fragments of Light’ by Jesse Dayan

‘Fragments of Light’ presents a series of paintings rooted in the everyday life of Melbourne, capturing intimate tableaux that reflect the changing seasons, nostalgia, and the connections between people and place. Influenced by the loose, expressive studies of Edward Hopper and Edouard Manet, the urban scenes of Elwin Hawthorne and the distilled compositions of Félix Vallotton, Jesse Dayan’s paintings offer a contemporary take on Modernist ideals.

In contrast to the hyper-real digital imagery and AI-driven visuals that dominate today’s culture, these paintings offer a tactile, emotional alternative. Rich in colour and deeply personal, they invite the viewer to engage with both the familiar world around us and the layered, subjective experience of the artist, encouraging a deeper connection to a moment and place captured on canvas.

Image credit: Jesse Dayan, detail from 'Summer Walk', 2024, oil on linen, 40 x 30 cm, image courtesy of the artist.

A painting of a person crouching beneath a large fruit tree covered in netting, seemingly tending to the plants. The background features a house with a red roof and trees.
Jesse Dayan, ‘Bird Netting over the Fig Tree’, 2024, oil on linen, 51 x 41 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A landscape painting of a lush outdoor garden covered in white netting. The background features a blue sky, trees in various stages of growth, and vibrant green grass, painted in a dynamic, expressive style.
Jesse Dayan, ‘Community Garden’, 2021, oil on linen, 51 x 41 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A painting depicting an indoor greenhouse or sunroom filled with potted plants. Sunlight filters through a large window, showing an expansive view of trees and sky outside.
Jesse Dayan, ‘Looking through the Greenhouse’, 2025, oil on linen, 51 x 41 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
An impressionistic painting of an elderly person playing the piano in a warmly lit living room. The scene features a red couch with patterned cushions, framed artwork on the yellow-toned walls, and a large window revealing a lush green landscape outside.
Jesse Dayan, ‘At his Writing desk’, 2024, oil on linen, 46 x 51 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A landscape painting of a lush park. Two figures stand a fair distance apart one with a sandy coloured dog lying in the shadow of a big tree and the other with a white dog. The background features a blue sky, trees in various stages of growth, and vibrant green grass, and a park bench with people sitting in the distance.
Jesse Dayan, ‘Afternoon at the Dog Park’, 2021, oil on linen, 41 x 51 cm, image courtesy of the artist.

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