Jakey Pedro: Wonder

Born and raised in rural Noosa Heads, artist Jacob Pedrana’s body of work speaks to the wildness of the rodeo, induced by sub-tropical colouring. “Rodeos”, says Pedrana, “are a metaphor for life’s wild ride. You’re on the horse, it’s bucking, and you’re partly in, and out, of control”.

Fusing bold, pastel acrylic blocks with the soft edge of an oil stick, his unruly, neo-expressionist style is full of movement and metaphor, speaking to the wildness of the Western rodeo. Communicated through immediately iconic cowboys astride bucking horses in a riotous palette of vivid, subtropical colour festooned with French Idioms has, in a perfect flurry of oil and canvas and inspiration, he delicately wields brushes and paint sticks under his artist handle, Jakey Pedro.