From the concrete grew a rose
Pencil on Arches paper
59,5 cm x 42 cm
This self-portrait artwork is a depiction of the beauty and goodness that can come from hardship and struggle. It is a celebration of how people can grow beyond difficult and harsh environments to discover happiness and the best version of themselves. It shows that people can transcend depression, addiction, and suicidal thoughts, even when surrounded by a world of negativity. Using the metaphor of a rose growing out of concrete, this artwork is an ode to those who persevere under the most trying situations and continue to solider on even in the mist of failure.
Q&A
Is this the first time you have entered the competition?
This is my very first time entering the competition, and to make the top 10 is already a significant achievement for me.
Tell us a little about your artistic journey up until the point of entering Sasol New Signatures 2022.
There is not that much to share about my artistic journey so far. I’ve drawn since a very young age, but I started taking my drawing skills seriously when I was in high school. I got accepted to study Art & Design in Cape Town in 2019; I got the opportunity to exhibit for the very first time at the Rust- and-Vrede Gallery in Durbanville, Cape Town, 2021. That was the most magical night of my life. I had never been around other artists before. We shared our stories, techniques and ideas. I made myself a promise that night. If this is the life of a professional artist, I will do anything in my power to live such a life. After that night, it was back to the drawing board, trying to come up with new ideas, experimenting with different mediums and trying to work with other artists in my town.
Who has had the most significant influence on your career as an artist to date?
My college lecturer, Miss Shanie Nell, has had the biggest influence on me. First, she taught me how to pursue an art career. She taught me about art and the business side of it. Finally, she taught me to pursue this career solely for my love of art.
Tell us a little about why you created the piece you submitted.
It is a beautiful thing to witness how someone can rise from a life of hardship and struggle. To become the best version of yourself in the most challenging situations. It is very rare to witness something like that. As an artist, when you do get the opportunity to witness such greatness, it is my job to tell stories like that through my art, to give people hope and something to believe in. That’s where my inspiration came from in this piece “From the concrete grew a rose”.
Tell us about your preferred medium/s …and why.
Of all the mediums I’ve experimented with, pencil is the best and my preferred medium. It is easier to manipulate and work with.
When people view your work – what reaction/response are you hoping to create?
The reaction I’m hoping to make through my art is amazement. Keep people curious to ask questions about my art, curious about the meaning behind it and how I was able to create it like that. To create that excitement in people to ask for more.
Why do you think your work was chosen as a top 7?
Why am I in the top 7? I have no idea! I’m not trying to be funny or sarcastic at all. I’m still processing the excitement and happiness that I made the top 7. A top 7 chosen by the best judges in the country. That is enough to prove that I did a great job on this piece.
And if you are chosen as the overall winner? How would you feel? Have you already got an idea or vision for your solo exhibition?
If I win this competition, this will definitely be the start of a great career. I will have the opportunity to do a solo exhibition, which is something I’ve been dreaming of since I started to take my art seriously.
What are you currently working on? What is next for you as an artist?
I’m working on a new pencil drawing. It’s going to take me up to four weeks to complete it. The future for me is to do as many exhibitions as possible.
Which South African artists do you admire and why?
Jono Dry and Patrick Rulore. When it comes to Patrick Rulore, the composition of his subjects and the manipulation of light in some of Rulore’s oil paintings are beyond beautiful. But on the other hand, I am amazed by the planning and ideas of Jono Dry’s surrealist pencil drawings and the finer details of it.
