"You wonder if the arist in Jogen wants simply to capture the rich texture and artistic fluidity of his genre. There is certainly a kind of simplicity to Jogen's work, a hunt for serenity and the purposeful omision of superfluous distractions in the name of creating images of silent dialogue and the power of the poignant presence. These works are like pared-down hymns to a higher level of beauty, with a strong sense of context and place that have increasingly attracted global attention and world-wide recognition considering his success at the international and national auction scenes.
'A drawing is about being able to cultivate the body and the spirit,' says Jogen, 'it is not only about a pretty picture. Working with the basic nature of a person is very much a characteristic of my work; I draw upon natural elements of people's faces for inspiration. The architecture of a man's body presents more exciting avenues for me than a face; it is actually like mixing an open-plan design — where you can see down onto all four floors from the uppermost level — and private treatment spaces. Creating then must take into account the perceptive predicament that a human subject offers.'"
- An excerpt from the exhibition essay authored by Uma Nair.