Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Jean Cohen is a contemporary visual artist and alumna of the Johannesburg Art Foundation, where she received a bursary for her work.

Following her studies, she completed an additional year specialising in art education, learning to guide others toward their own artistic voices, and qualifying as an art teacher.

For Jean, art is a space where language falls away and truth takes form, allowing intuition, memory, and observation to shape each piece. Her work holds difficult realities and explores complex emotions and lived experience.

She is drawn to challenging subjects including freedom of speech, bigotry, politics, animal cruelty, antisemitism, obsession, compulsion, faith and humour.

Selected for the Extended Longlist in Jackson’s Art Prize 2026, placing in the top 26% of 16,280 global entries submitted from over 110 countries.