Next to something: Documenting intimacy.
For FNB Art Joburg, I presented work with 16/16 that explored two exercises in time and emotion, each a different avenue yet equally revealing to my conception of intimacy. In the first series, "D0723W," I asked friends to create playlists for me to paint in live video sessions. This practice led me on an expedition through the colour green, imagining it as a space — a sort of garden — where my friends and I could leave lasting imprints of our shared time. The exercises were as much about capturing fleeting moments in my life and those close to me as they were about a ceaseless search for beauty in everyday experiences.
The second chapter emerges from a trip to Paris and its aftermath of introspection and feelings. Further refined through enlightening conversations with draftsman, Native Maqari, this work is about the liberty of my moving hand. Even the simplest line here is a landscape of intimacy: a notion that perhaps contradicts, yet complements, the otherwise bustling energy of the first series.
Materially, my canvas extends beyond conventional paper or linen. I dabble in the mundane and the extraordinary — from cardboard and old packaging to water and coffee. These everyday items echo the essence of what I am documenting: transient scenes that define our lives. I relish in their curation, inviting spontaneity and reaction into the creative process. They liberate me from the confines of cerebral creation, lending a visceral quality to my work.
Being a water sign perhaps adds a layer of fluidity to my outlook. For me, leisure isn't just an activity but a form of existence. It is sharing a meal. It is hands lightly touching. It is breathing in and out of sync with someone else; simple instances where suffering takes a back seat and living right now takes precedence. In a world often defined by its hardships, I firmly believe that embracing the ease and enjoyment found in intimacy can be a revolutionary act; at the same time, it can be a prison.
