THE SIT DOWN
04: JANE MECHNER
Born in LA, raised in France, with family between Vienna and the States, Jane Mechner’s sense of identity has always been layered. Trilingual, observant, and quietly funny, she spent her early years watching closely and drawing constantly — trying, in her own words, to ‘blend in’. That instinct has stayed with her. It’s what gives her paintings their sharpness — not just in line, but in insight.
Before painting, there were comics. A three-year detour that sharpened her skills in observation, pacing, and narrative. She was doing life drawing sessions on the side, then restaurant commissions came in, then suddenly the realisation this could be full-time. Painting took over, and in 2025, she graduated from the RCA.
She works in series; not because it’s neat, but because certain questions won’t leave her alone. One recent series takes a carousel as its central motif. She’s looking at political cycles, especially in Austria and the US, where nostalgia is both the glue and the trap. How do you break a cycle that’s disguised as comfort?
Her process is tactile and fast. Drawings first, not photographs — the line matters. The impressionists and their thick, impulsive brushwork, is something that currently weaves its way through her work, but Jane’s eye is sharper, more satirical: funfairs, football fans, the everyday, all make appearances in her paintings, both as symbols of collective identity and as soft critiques of it. Her first solo show in Vienna focused on portraiture of multicultural men — a nod to her own ongoing exploration of national identity, masculinity, and belonging. She’s now based in London, but still paints her way through time zones and emotional geographies.
Her themes — nationalism, multiculturalism, cultural loss — aren’t easy, but Jane never moralises. Instead, she observes, satirises, and translates. Always through the lens of someone who's both inside and out. If you’ve ever felt like you belonged nowhere and everywhere at once, Jane Mechner’s paintings might just speak your language.
Before painting, there were comics. A three-year detour that sharpened her skills in observation, pacing, and narrative. She was doing life drawing sessions on the side, then restaurant commissions came in, then suddenly the realisation this could be full-time. Painting took over, and in 2025, she graduated from the RCA.
She works in series; not because it’s neat, but because certain questions won’t leave her alone. One recent series takes a carousel as its central motif. She’s looking at political cycles, especially in Austria and the US, where nostalgia is both the glue and the trap. How do you break a cycle that’s disguised as comfort?
Her process is tactile and fast. Drawings first, not photographs — the line matters. The impressionists and their thick, impulsive brushwork, is something that currently weaves its way through her work, but Jane’s eye is sharper, more satirical: funfairs, football fans, the everyday, all make appearances in her paintings, both as symbols of collective identity and as soft critiques of it. Her first solo show in Vienna focused on portraiture of multicultural men — a nod to her own ongoing exploration of national identity, masculinity, and belonging. She’s now based in London, but still paints her way through time zones and emotional geographies.
Her themes — nationalism, multiculturalism, cultural loss — aren’t easy, but Jane never moralises. Instead, she observes, satirises, and translates. Always through the lens of someone who's both inside and out. If you’ve ever felt like you belonged nowhere and everywhere at once, Jane Mechner’s paintings might just speak your language.