I was born in Fochville, studied in Port Elizabeth and now live at the foot of a mountain known as the Sleeping Beauty, situated in the Western Cape, South Africa. I really like the idea of living at the foot of a Fairy Tale character.

During my childhood we moved around a lot from town to town, so I quickly had to learn to like my own company until I was able to make friends.

I had a happy childhood, filled with play and fantasy, for example, I could play with store bought toys as well as mops, insects or dishcloths.  I like dressing up, even from a young age, and would parade in my mothers’s clothes and high heels around the house.

My mother was very creative.  I remember her hooking a rug while pregnant with my brother.  She used to make some of our clothes as well.  She also opened a florist when I was age 6/7 – the year I started going to school.  Before that she was a stay at home mom.

ek en my ma

I was a very rebellious teenager, and my father was very strict.  We fought a lot, but like him I found an emotional outlet via music.  He would listen to Queen and BZN really  loud, and I enjoyed metal and hard rock.  I used to copy the art on those CD covers (which usually contained a lot of skulls etc. in my diaries.  I did not attend art classes at school level, but had artistic friends.  My father didn’t want me to study Fine Art, but allowed me to study Graphic design.  During the first year I secretly changed courses.

Ek en my pa

My mother passed away in a car accident the year I started my studies in Art. Art became my therapy in dealing with death and loss of a loved one.

studio shot, work in progress

random note: Nickname in school:  “Axl” 😉