The Bush Tucker Man
Gregory Jessup
- Sitter: Les Hiddins
- Medium: Oil on Canvas
- Dimensions: 95cm x 121cm
- Representation: This artist represents themselves
About the artwork
Born in Brisbane in 1946, Major Leslie James Hiddins is well known for his service as an officer in the Australian Army and his popular ABC TV series, Bush Tucker Man, which ran from the late 1980s through to the 1990s.
In this painting, the artist has seated Hiddins with his signature Akubra hat resting on his knee, surrounded by an imagined landscape of edible bush tucker plants. Hiddins’ enduring love and knowledge of the Australian bush are captured through the careful inclusion of native flora and the calm, assured expression on his face. The use of bright, vivid colours brings warmth and vitality to the scene, reflecting Hiddins’ deep connection to the land and the life it sustains.
“I have been a big fan of Les Hiddins since I was very young, watching his program on TV in the early 90s. I wanted to add the bush tucker into the portrait somehow because that’s what his life’s work has focused on.”
About the artist
Gregory Jessup is a Brisbane based artist and teacher who completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at Queensland College of Art. He predominantly creates portraits and still life paintings with oils. Jessup was a finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize in 2019 and won first prize in the Royal Queensland Art Society’s Figurative Exhibition in 2022.
