Portrait of a Budgerigar marked Leila Jeffreys’ first major exhibition, emerging from years of dedicated work with budgerigars. Fascinated by their intelligence and individuality, she set out to portray these often-overlooked birds in a way that honoured their character and presence. “I didn’t want to photograph the birds as objects,” she reflects. “I wanted to reveal that they are tiny birds with huge personalities. It was a way of seeing birds that I don’t think had ever been captured before.”
Working with the Budgerigar Society of NSW, Jeffreys created studio conditions that allowed the birds to settle, capturing them in moments of calm and clarity. By presenting them at human scale against neutral backgrounds, she introduced a bold new approach to bird portraiture, large-scale, formal works that revealed both intricate beauty and emotional depth.
The reception was extraordinary. Each evening, the gallery laid out promotional cards, only for them to be completely gone by morning. The exhibition was widely covered in national design and art media, with features in Vogue Living, Belle, Artist Profile, and others. What began as a personal exploration quickly evolved into a defining artistic practice, launching Jeffreys into the public eye and establishing her as a significant voice in contemporary art.
