[1] Parris typically uses drawing to create strongly narrative work,[2] often in the form of comic strips with a droll satirical humour, or figures that seem like comic-book characters.
Her 1998 installation Copyright, using a number of videos and items of Habitat furniture, portrayed everyday tragedies, described by The Independent as "absurd, sad, funny - and too close to home for comfort.
[3] In 2010, Parris's animated video Talent was shown at Tate Britain's Rude Britannia exhibition.
The work for this exhibition was developed throughout 2015 and depicted the stories she encountered whilst conversing with local residents, traders and students within Peckham's town centre.
[5] In 2021, she had a solo exhibition, "A View without the Bridge: Janette Parris" at the Focal Point Gallery[6] in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.