Joel Jensen is a visually-impaired artist with a unique art style. Photo: Erin Hee.
Wagga Wagga artist Joel Jensen was born with two rare eye conditions but it hasn’t stopped him pursuing his dreams and passing on his passion for painting.
The 25-year-old artist, who suffered from Peters anomaly and sporadic aniridia, received a corneal transplant when he was two weeks old. It was the start of a three-year-long journey, where his mum made weekly trips to Sydney to “keep an eye on stitches”.
Now he only has to make the trip every six months.
“The vision that I have now, a lot of that was gained from the operation,” he said.
“It has given me more opportunity to do the things that I want to do.
“I’ve pretty much been a creative and hands-on type of person, so art is one of the things I’ve always practiced.”
Joel now owns an art studio where he creates and teaches other people the joy of art.
As an artist with an eye condition he has a unique style of art, which he describes as “very modern, contemporary”.
He said he saw things “through a thick fog”.
“So having a different perspective of how I look at things gives me a different style,” he said.
“Sometimes, for finer details, I use either a phone camera or magnifier.”
Art has always been one of Joel’s passion. Before he picked up the paintbrush about nine years ago, he was “just sort of doodling”.
“I used to draw pretty much every day, all the time just for fun,” he said.
“I do a lot of oil painting now.”
Sometimes he experiments with different mediums, such as acrylics and pastels.
Joel Jensen’s studio, MR Contemporary Fine Art, is on Edward Street. Photo: Erin Hee.
He first got into painting in the same studio when it was still Tahlia Keogh Fine Art.
“In time, she had the business up for offer and she offered it to me,” Joel said.
Now he runs art classes throughout the week for different groups, from after school groups to people just looking for a fun time.
“We’re using a variety of different mediums, from drawing with lead and charcoal, pastels, acrylic oil paint,” he said.
“We do a lot of NDIS clients as well.
“It gives them a place, gives them a resource and a place to go to. It’s a creative environment and a social thing.”
When not in his studio, Joel can be found competing in blind and low-vision lawn bowls tournaments.
He was one of the ten-pin bowlers who took part in the 2025 Wagga Wagga Disability Championship and Paper Masters in August.
He was also in Perth for the National Championships for Blind Bowlers and will be competing in the NSW state championships.
MR Contemporary Fine Art is at 209 Edward Street, and is open Mondays through Saturdays with different operating hours. Joel will be launching an art exhibition for his students on Saturday 29 November, which will run throughout the first week of December. For more information phone Joel on 0487 227 726.
