Jelina Haines

Artist Biography

Jelina Haines was born in Manila, Philippines in 1970 and migrated to Australia in 1997. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Business Information Management (Archival & Preservation Management), a Bachelor of Arts (Interdisciplinary Visual Arts) and a Diploma in Community Cultural Development (Dip.CCD). She is currently undertaking two degrees in Master level – Master in Management (Arts & Cultural Mgmt) & Master of Business Information Management at University of South Australia.

Her first introduction to the art world in 1998 happened out of necessity and her longing for sense of belonging to a new country. She immediately found solace and reassurance through her artwork. The Government House of South Australia became a familiar place for her when she excelled at year 12 level, achieving 5 perfect scores, the most memorable year was when she achieved 3 perfect scores at year 12 level and received her award from Her Excellency Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE.

Jelina Haines has blended the processes of Contemporary, Postmodern and Conceptual Art, and with craft-making of her own unique design. Her work explores the contemporary fascination of raising environmental awareness through her works and her desire to use art as catalyst to raise gender equality and equal rights for women and cross – cultural understanding.

Jelina Haines describes herself as an interdisciplinary visual artist - specializing in Textile Art & Wearable Art making, Environmental Art, Wildlife Costume Designing and Project Management. She added that her artworks are inspired by the beauty of Australian surroundings, and its diverse ecosystems; and major events that happened in her life, especially her involvement with various environmental groups and NGO's. The association and qualities of her artworks and their evocation envelopes every inch of her artwork and are directly linked to traditional knowledge of weaving that has been passed on by Elders. Furthermore as she continues to describe her works, each element evokes a metaphor as a woven image using threads, paints and fabrics to create an astonishing palette of colours and textured surfaces. The result is rhythmic stitches that produced an integrated figurative form of images and well blended colours which entwine with knowledge and story to tell a deeper story. Her artworks illuminate processes that are inherently multidimensional, creative, interactive and dynamic.

Since her first solo exhibition in 2005, Haines has exhibited extensively around South Australia, interstate and a selective group digital exhibition in London and USA. The highlights of her career were when she collaborated ‘The Golden Tapestry Project’ with the Millennium Tapestry Company P/L, (England) with the Commonwealth country Australia and ‘Gawler Primary School’, South Australia. The purpose of the project was to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's 50 years as Head of the Commonwealth and the finished tapestry was exhibited along with other tapestries at Melbourne during the Commonwealth Games 2006 and the final exhibitions of the tapestries will be exhibited at Delhi, India the next host country for the Commonwealth Games 2011. Jelina’s artworks are held in private and public collections both in overseas and Australia.

She recieves numerous nominations awards and in 2008, was one of the Nominee for The Governor’s Multicultural Awards 2008, South Australia, S.A Great Regional ‘Commendation Award’ in ETSA Utilities under the Arts Category and Zonta Women of Achievement Award Winner in Arts Category, Gawler District, South Australia. Her work had been professionally reviewed and published in newspapers and one of her artworks attracted one PhD student’s attention and included her artwork story as part of a thesis.

Jelina Haines lives in Gawler, South Australia with her family and mainly works in regional areas in South Australia.