Jessica Chapnik Kahn

Jessica Chapnik Kahn is an Argentinian Australian singer-songwriter, actor, poet and writer. She immigrated to Australia as a child and learnt English by watching the Children’s TV show, Play School. Jessica has worked in theatre, TV and film, written books, released albums and played and collaborated on musical projects with some of Australia’s finest artists.

In 2019, Jessica published her first children’s book, Lenny and the Ants, illustrated by iconic Australian artist Matthew Martin. That same year she released her collection of poems and drawings, MADRE, which she wrote in the depths of postpartum, deeply inspired by the birth of her son, Lev. In 2020 she co-wrote the memoir, A Repurposed Life, which was longlisted for an ABIA Award for Biography Book of the Year 2021.

As a musician, Jessica has played in the bands of Ben Lee, Sarah Blasko, Old Man River and the Kahn Brothers. She worked on 4 albums with Lee, including the soundtrack for the Australian film The Square, directed by Nash Edgerton. The album was nominated for an ARIA Fine Arts Award for "Best Original Soundtrack". Jessica went on to create her own musical project under the name Appleonia, releasing two albums, including the much-loved Appleonia song "She is the Sun".

Jessica trained as an actor in New York City for two years at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School. On returning to Australia, she became most known for her role in Australian TV drama Home and Away as a semi-regular.

Jessica lives by the beach in Sydney, Australia with her husband and two children, Lev and Shemi.