Press Archive – Northshore Times, Friday, June 18th 2004, Cover Story “Canvassing Support”
Celebrity canvasses for a good cause
Artist Nafisa Naomi, of Northbridge, has spent the past six years donating much of her time to painting jeans to raise money for charity. She has just finished her favourite piece, a portrait of Mickjagger on a pair of jeans donated by the legendary rocker.
WORDS
Mary Powis
PICTURES
John Appleyard
NORTHBRIDGE artist Nafisa Naomi has painted celebrity jeans every year for six years to raise funds for the Children’s Medical Research Foundation.
For this year’s art auction, she has painted jeans donated by rock star Mick Jagger.
“They are my favorite,” she said, before adding quickly: “It’s always the one I have just finished that I like best.”
Nafisa’s first art-work for the Jeans for Genes art auction was painting jeans sent by American film and television celebrity Anne Heche in 1999.
“The following year I painted Janet Jackson’s jeans,” she said.
“In 2000, the year of the Sydney Olympics, the theme was sporting heroes and the jeans I painted were donated by Wayne Gardiner.
“Next, the theme was Generations and I painted 24 small portraits of children from around the world.
“In 2003, I painted Gwyneth Paltrow’s jeans and I have just finished Mick Jagger’s jeans for the 2004 event.
“I am always happy to help such a worthwhile cause.”
Nafisa, who is president of the Portrait Artists of Australia, has painted two portraits of Jagger on his jeans.
“He has been in the music industry for four decades and one portrait shows him in a contemplative mood, reflecting on his long career,” she said.
“The other refers to the diversity of his career as both a celebrity and a rock star.” She says it wasn’t easy to find the image she wanted for inspiration. .
“Then, when I was in New York recently for a portrait artists’ conference, I found just what I wanted in a movie magazine,” she said.
“I found another image in a Rolling Stones magazine. “I arrived home and began work at once.” Nafisa said that she turned the jeans upside down and pleated the ends of the legs to create horizontal padding of a jacket. “I stapled the jeans onto canvas and worked in oil paints so that the finished art-work is archival quality,” she said. “Last time jeans donated by Mick Jagger sold for $13,000 so this time they could raise $18,000 for the Children’s Medical Research Institute.” Nafisa said there was no chance that the rock star had sent someone out to buy jeans especially for the project. These were well-worn jeans and slightly faded. “When I was painting Wayne Gardiner’s jeans I noticed small holes which he said were typical in jeans worn by anyone riding a motor-bike,” she said.
He has been in the music industry for four decades and one portrait shows him in a contemplative mood, reflecting on his long career
- Nafisa Naomi
Nafisa painted Mick Jagger in different moods, making two portraits in one.
“I re-arranged the fabric so that they wouldn’t show.” She said that jeans donated by both Anne Heche and Janet Jackson were quite (small and Janet chose to send a baggy style. “Gwyneth Paltrow’s jeans had long, skinny legs, deflnately the star’s own jeans,” she said.
“Celebrities the world over have always supported this good cause [Jeans for Genes Day]. “As far as I know the only one invited to take part who didn’t send jeans was Jack Nicholson. “He said he didn’t wear them and sent a tee-shirt instead which was painted by Bill Leak and raised $18,000.”
Mick Jagger’s jeans will be exhibit! with other celebrity jeans at the Mus LEGends exhibition at the Art Hou: Hotel, Pitt St, City, from Friday, July leading to the auction on Thursday, Ju 22.
» Jeans for Genes Day, when an Australians a n asked to wear jeans for a good cause, will be on Friday, August 6.
Celebrity art you can wear
JEANS donated for the annual Jeans for Genes art auction are each signed by the celebrity who donated them.
This year’s theme is Music LEGends and the collection includes jeans given by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, David Helfgott, Delta Goodrem, Dolly Parton, Burt Bacharach, Tom Jones and Mick Jagger.
Artists who have painted them include Hugh Oliveiro, Paul Newton, Elizabeth Barden, Paul Dorin, Garry Fleming, Yvonne Sherring-Howard, Evert Ploeg, Melissa Beowulf, Ernie Gerzabek, Nafisa Naomi, Anwen Keeling, David Boyd, Robyn Caughlan, Jingalu, Steven Gorrow and Jan Williamson.
The auction will be held on Thursday, July 24, at the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour.
Proceeds from this event and Jeans for Genes Day on Friday, August 6 will fund the work of the Children’s Medical Research Foundation for research into the causes of childhood illnesses such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy and leukemia.
» Formore information, visit the website: www.jeans4genes.com.au
