Jeannie Baker: Desert Jungle

Desert Jungle is the latest exhibition of artworks by renowned children’s book author and artist, Jeannie Baker. Desert Jungle is a travelling exhibition, co-produced by Penrith Regional Gallery that has been scheduled to align with the publishing of Jeannie’s latest book, also titled Desert Jungle, in 2023.

Jeanne’s vibrant and distinct works present a visual narrative that explores the complex biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert. Over one third of the Australian landscape is classified as desert, and yet for most settler Australians, the desert remains a barren space. In this new story, Jeannie explores the Valley of the Cirios in Mexico, through the perspective of a young child and his grandfather. Through guidance and discovery, the child soon learns that the nature he once feared is a place of endless wonder. The intimacy he experiences with his local area feeds his desire to care for and protect it. In parts of the Valley, towering stands of cardon cactus – some of the largest cacti on Earth – and elephant trees, mix with cirios and other unique desert plants as a ‘forest’, almost a desert jungle. These cacti and other plants form both subject and material for Jeannie, who incorporates their clippings in her intricate and stunning works.

During an historic moment, when the global community is grappling with the irreversible effects of climate change, Desert Jungle offers a moment of reflection and insight, to celebrate that which is unique, and cannot be lost.