I have not been following the above advice, because I am celebrating!

I am celebrating because for the first time in my life I have received an award for the work I do- for living my passion. I am feeling blessed.

On Sunday the 11^th of May we were treated like royalty at the impressive and iconic Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town.  The ABSA KKNK Kanna award ceremony took place and the nominees in the category for best visual art production at the 20^th Klein Karoo National Arts Festival were:

1. Philemon Hlungwani for his exhibition : Mi Kondzo Ya Tinghwazi (In the footsteps of heroes) Curated by Trent Read.

Read more about Phillemon Hlungwani here

2.  Michael Hammond for his exhibition: Orania

Read more about Michael Hammond here

And

3.  Myself for “Rubber ever after”

I tried ‘Rescue Remedy” to calm my nerves, but it didn’t help much, because when they read my name I cried all the way to the podium, through the ‘speech’ and all the way back.  Emotion is a strange thing.  I hope that the tears wasn’t seen as a weakness but as extreme happiness!  My father used to say that my bladder is situated between my eyes…tears are not a foreign concept for me.

Now after all is said and done I cannot help but to think back to a couple of days before this event.  My two little boys are fascinated with ships, boats and lighthouses.  We watched the movie Titanic probably 8 times or more in a span of one week.  So for a treat we took them to the Diaz Museum in Mosselbay.  Inspired by their passion for the Titanic I decided play pretend:

Here I re-interpret the scene where Leonardo DiCaprio scream: “I am king of the worrrrld”

Afterwards we were joking that I wish my ship would come, and I hope it won’t sink.  So when I look at this ‘trophy’ made by the artist Owen Claassen:

I see a relation – or is it my imagination?!

Besides this wonderful trophy and recognition I also acquired some amazing art pieces during this weekend in Cape Town by fellow artists and colleagues – but more on this in my next post!