This is me
I am an 18-year-old South African artist and a first-year student in film arts. Now, more than ever, I realize the importance of creativity; the need to express oneself, the need for an outlet. In the chaos of life, I aspire to find moments of release, peace, and contentment.
Growing up, I was introduced to many types of art, knowledge, and techniques. My mother influenced me greatly, since she’s also an artist. I knew who Vincent van Gogh was from a very young age due to my mother being a huge fan of his work. His story and the emotionality of his work stuck with me throughout the years; despite being labeled a failure, he held on to the process of creating, which he loved so dearly. More than loved, it was a necessity for him.
I started dancing when I was eleven. This marked a point of great character development in my life; I became more confident, less shy, and enjoyed the platform dance gave me to express myself.
As a child, my mother would try to get me to enjoy art, but it would usually end in tantrums and pencils flying through the air. I wanted it to be perfect, nothing less. Yeah… she kind of gave up trying at some point. Ha! Luckily, I started to show interest years later, and now I couldn’t care less about making “perfect” art, for it is expression that truly matters, and the mistakes and rough edges add to the emotion. I aspire to embrace the process and see the result as a bonus.
My work
I consider myself an expressionist; I love the spontaneous, visible brushstrokes and the emotion they convey. The choice to work in bright, saturated colours came about because I realized that there are enough dull things in our lives; we might as well create colourful art, am I right?
I mostly work with acrylic paint, however, I have worked with multiple different mediums and do enjoy a bit of mixed media.
In terms of subject matter, I love doing portraits, not necessarily to capture the likeness of a person but rather the essence of said person. The face tells a story, even when no words are added; it shows who a person is, where they are from, and very often tells a tale of resilience. It fosters the eyes, truly the window to one’s soul, apart from mere colour, it holds an abundance of information. I am fascinated by humans; their behaviour, suffering, life, thoughts, emotions, stories, clothing, culture, and heritage. To be an artist is to cater to the human condition, and what an honour it truly is.
I also enjoy animal studies, often times animals seem to have more humanity than humans themselves. I was never a big animal person, but the older I get, the more I appreciate them; their beauty astonishes me. I love the colours, patterns, and textures of their bodies, they also help me to quiet down in my busy life and focus on the beauty of nature, which soothes one’s soul.
Art, my, how I love it! It holds substantial power, and I am so grateful for it. Truly, it helps me to acknowledge the beauty around me and acts as a way for me to console and nurture the state of my own soul.
I implore you to follow my journey as I try to balance life and art, embracing the little things that can bring about much joy.
Contact Me
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