Leila Jeffreys (b. 1972, Papua New Guinea; lives and works Sydney)
The title is drawn from the group of birds from which all modern birds descend. Ornithurae is emblematic of Jeffreys’ practice, as she works closely with birds, producing sympathetic portraits, often at human scale. The artist invites us to spend time with them, presenting them as the beautiful subjects of this portrait, and she encourages our empathy with these birds and, by extension, the natural world.