Jesse Akele’s (b. 1995) work is concerned with investigating the inner life of her subjects and how this is moulded by experience. With subjects very much rooted in her world, Akele’s approach to painting them is a response to the qualities she has observed them radiate. She enjoys magnifying what can be perceived to be fleeting, sometimes small, moments and making them epic. She completed the MA Painting programme at the Royal College of Art in 2023.