arty farty musings: New works on exhibition in Cape Town.

The VEO Gallery in Capetown is currently holding an exhibition called HOPE IN MOTION: EVERYDAY HEROES. “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

(Christopher Reeve: “Superman” – disabled in a riding accident)

I was delighted to have 10 works accepted for this exhibition.

From the “Salute to single mothers” series:

In this series I have tried to put the spotlight on the courage of the huge number of single women who take on the demanding task of earning a living, and at the same time guiding their children through the increasing uncertainty of life. This is a difficult task, even for those in 1^st world countries where life is reasonably stable. But to me in Africa, where war, famine, displacement and the need to leave families in remote areas in order to seek work in the big cities are such common conditions, these single mothers are even more amazing. I have hopefully managed to express the courage of these women, who hold their families together against the odds. torn

400x300mm

missing you

400x300mm

lead us to safety

250x350mm

Lead me to safety

250x300mm

From the AFRICA WEEPS FOR HER CHILDREN SERIES:

In the Africa Weeps series I look at some of the little waifs around me, whose parents are dying of aids, or who have no hope of finding jobs, and they break my heart as I wonder what the future holds for them. Can we make enough of a difference in this country that we can turn things around for these kids? The series has grown to examine issues relating to the plight of women and children in so many parts of Africa, the so called "lost generation", the spectre of joblessness, and the big divide between 1st world/3rd world, rich/poor in the continent. A recurring theme is the plight of refugees, and those whose next meal depends on someone dropping it out of the sky. The new works are a further exploration of the "Africa Weeping" idea, using running paint to depict the meltdown that is taking place in so many societies and economies on the continent. Many of the children are depicted as faceless, because to the rest of the world they are often seen as faceless hungry masses rather than unique individuals. I also hoped to show the spirit of the children, who, despite facing the bleakest of futures, manage to still be children, and despite the terrible conditions so many live under, they have a dignity and cheerfulness that is a real lesson to many in wealthy societies who seem to do nothing but be dissatisfied with their lot in life. To me these kids are everyday heroes.