A simple, soft and gentle sketch that illustrated a moment of empathy after one of New Zealand\u2019s most horrific attacks propelled a Dunedin artist\u2019s career to new heights.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Ruby Jones returned to Dunedin to share bits of her life since a sketch she made of former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern embracing a Muslim woman after the Christchurch terror attacks of March 15, 2019, went viral.<\/p>\n
Her artwork has been displayed in an exhibit called “Soft Lines”, which opened at T\u016bhura Otago Museum yesterday.<\/p>\n
The past five years had been like a roller coster for her, Ms Jones said.<\/p>\n
After the March 15 illustration went viral she was asked to illustrate a cover for\u00a0TIME\u00a0magazine.<\/p>\n
In 2023, Dame Jacinda herself asked her to illustrate a children\u2019s book she was writing,\u00a0Mum\u2019s Busy Work, which came out this year.<\/p>\n
“Since that one illustration kind of went viral in 2019, I feel like life\u2019s just sort of been non-stop.”<\/p>\n
She said it was “pretty surreal” to get a call from Dame Jacinda but she tried her best to play it cool.<\/p>\n
“In the back of my mind I was thinking \u2018this is an absolute dream come true\u2019.”<\/p>\n
Soft Lines was her first solo exhibition and it felt special for her to be doing it in Dunedin \u2014 where she grew up, she said.<\/p>\n
She returned to her primary school, St Clair School, to do a workshop with the children making zines about kindness, which have been displayed in the exhibition.<\/p>\n
It was exciting to see her work displayed at the museum on such a large scale, she said.<\/p>\n
It was also nice to have the March 15 illustration displayed among her other work.<\/p>\n
“While that is a big part of the story, I have other parts to my story as well and I think to be able to show those feels important too.”<\/p>\n
She had been obsessed with drawing since a young age.<\/p>\n
“It was just always a huge part of my life.”<\/p>\n
She drew every day and focused on people rather than landscapes or buildings.<\/p>\n
“I mean sometimes I obviously draw about big world events, but I also kind of like to try and focus in on little everyday moments that we might just kind of pass by.”<\/p>\n
For the exhibition she had sketched things she loved about Dunedin such as hoiho, Best Cafe and a can of Emerson\u2019s beer.<\/p>\n
She described her illustration style as “simple, soft and gentle”.<\/p>\n
She moved to Melbourne, Australia, a few months ago and was glad to be visiting home, she said.<\/p>\n
It gave her an opportunity to reflect on where she had been, where she came from and where she was now.<\/p>\n