Who are you and where did it all start?
I'm an artist who uses wet, dry and digital media in my practice. Currently, I am showing a new body of paintings and drawings at 99 Loop Gallery in Cape Town.
Making art started when I was very young, and it had everything to do with healing. My mother used to work late nights, so when I was alone I would sit and draw. It kept me calm and there was a very deep feeling of connection to something strange, that cannot be verbalised, but which also gave me comfort. Being able to make things that looked interesting and not just like pretty pictures gave it a sense of meaning, and I think that empowered me to continue and to hold on to it.
Your work has such a dreamlike component to it. How did this develop and what do you aim to communicate through your work?
I'm actually thinking about things that I think exist in some way, and I want to look at them differently - not through a camera lens, but from multiple viewpoints at the same time, the way I am guessing they look.
I've been very interested in the landscape tradition from the Northern Song Dynasty in China, which really resonates with me on many levels.
There is something that I read about Guo Xi, a Chinese landscape painter from this period's work - that since a painting is not a window, there is no need to imitate the mechanics of vision and view a place from one spot only.
In his case, he meant the scene he was observing and depicting. In my case, I'm referring to the multiple viewpoints that are not only of one scene but of many that exist contemporarily.
What I aim to communicate is not for me to say, as I don't want to prescribe what the viewer should see. The viewer can interpret it for themselves. The nature of visual art is precisely that it's not literal and verbal, and often a description of an intention can be didactic, which I want to avoid. I have many thoughts that inform the work, but these aren't necessarily what a viewer will perceive or feel by looking at them. When people respond or write about my work, I enjoy finding things that I thought of, but I love being surprised by feelings and thoughts different from my own. This dialogue is the communication I'm looking for.
Who or what inspires you most right now and why?
I suppose the obvious answer is the natural world itself, but it's not only that. "Nature" can be everything that is you and that you experience. So, since much of my time is spent in the digital realm, staring at a screen, a lot of my ideas and feelings come from this warm/cold place as well. Its "temperature" is not just cold but also warm - it can give you a nice fuzzy feeling, it isn't all sterile and alienating.
How do you navigate your way through a creative slump?
I draw. Drawing is the foundation of any visual language, and drawing can be anything, not just pencil and paper, but it is usually more pared-down in its complexity.
Anyone can draw, and if you ask me, everyone should draw. It doesn't have to be "good", it can just be a tool to make sense of the world. It can be very empowering, and healing, which is why I enjoy teaching drawing so much.
What is your typical day like as an artist?
I don't have a typical day - I try to do more mechanical work, like drafting, sketching and cutting during the day, and then painting and more complex work in the evening.
I have come to terms with the fact that daytime and nighttime for me have a strong impact on how I work and what comes to me, how much I delve into it and get involved, so I try and move according to the rotation of the planet and try not to impose my schedule on it. Believe me, I've tried, and it just doesn't work.
If you could choose anyone in the world to collaborate with, who would that be and why?
Something is cooking right now in terms of a collaboration with a big name in the design/fashion industry, which I'm really looking forward to. It is in relation to my upcoming residency in Italy, so watch this space! And follow me on Instagram.
Where is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Manali in the Himalayas and a bit higher up at 4,000m, in Rohtang Pass. It's an incredibly magical place.
What are you working on now and looking forward to next?
I'm currently making preparations for an artist residency that I've been invited to attend in the north of Italy, Covid permitting. I can't wait to explore the mountainscapes there, as well as two exciting projects I will be part of.
