Waiting for Van Hunks…

Waiting for Van Hunks 2017 Embroidery on rubber 45 x 58 cm

This piece was inspired by Table Mountain which is often covered by a so-called “table cloth” of cloud. Legend attributes this phenomenon to a smoking contest between the Devil and a Dutch pirate called Van Hunks.

This piece will be hanging out at the Museum Rijswijk for the Rijswijk Textile Biennale, which opened to the public yesterday until September 2017

In the image above Van Hunks is hanging close to a work by South African artist Tamar Mason, whose work is also included in the Biennale.

It is a first for me to see my work displayed in a Vitrine like this. I kind of like the idea. It reminds me of a time during my childhood, when I encountered hundreds of porcelain figures in a glass case at my aunts home.

A big thank you to Doroth’e Swinkels for sending me the images.

creation myth…

Art portfolio- my work

He sees monsters everywhere

Dear friends,

“…a time before the beginning of time, when this universe was nothing but “the Self”. That Self looked around and saw that there was nothing but itself, whereupon its first shout was. “It is I!” And when that Self had thus become aware of itself as an I, an ego, it was afraid. But it reasoned, thinking, “Since there is no one here but myself, what is there to fear?” Whereupon the fear departed.”

I absolutely adore creation myths, especially this Indian creation myth as quoted in the book written by Joseph Campbell titled: “Myths to live by”

Image: “He sees monsters everywhere” embroidery on rubber. This work is one of 7 pieces included in the Rijswijk Textile Biennale, which opens on the 16th of May 2017.

Invitation: 2017 Rijswijk Textile Biennale

Art portfolio- my work

Dear Friends,

I feel so thrilled and moved that my work will be included in the 2017 Rijswijk Textile Biennial.

Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the opening, but for those of you that will be in the Rijswijk area…..

please know that you are invited! x

Autumn Studio update

Studio news, Studio news/blog

Ah, well into the month of March and since March was named after the Roman God of war, I thought this picture with a toy gun is appropriate, (not that I am a fan of war) but as Alice Walker wrote in the book: The Colour Purple: “A grown child is a dangerous thing”

In the studio I am “fighting” with unfinished pieces, admin and time.

I recently had an encounter with a beautiful animal (seal) when I went for my daily swim in the Goukou river and afterwards a friend told me that I should regard it as a sign to “go with the flow.” So while I concentrate on going with the flow…I’d like to tell you about some exciting things that’s coming up in the next 3 months:

1….

“Stitched” (part 1) a group show is opening on the 24th of March at the Paradigm gallery in Philadelphia USA! Three of my works will be shown alongside some amazing artists using embroidery and stitching techniques in their work. It’s the first time that my work will be seen in the USA and I am super excited to be included in this show.

*Please contact sara@paradigm-gallery.com if you would like to be on the digital collector preview list for this exhibition.*

2…

In April I will be participating in “A Visual Requiem for Judith Mason” a travelling group exhibition..

….a tribute to celebrate the art and life of Judith Mason who sadly passed away earlier this year.

3….

For the month of May: I am in the process of getting my work ready to ship it to the Netherlands for the Rijswijk Textile Biennial 2017!

I will post some images of the work soon, but for now I’d like to leave you with this quote by Patti Smith from her book: Just Kids, which I finished reading over the weekend:

“In my low periods, I wondered what was the point of creating art. For whom? Are we animating God? Are we talking to ourselves? And what was the ultimate goal? To have one’s work caged in art’s great zoo’s – The Modern, The Met, The Louvre?

I craved honesty, yet found dishonesty in myself. Why commit to art? For self-realisation, or for itself? It seem indulgent to add to the glut unless one offered illumination…..

I wondered if anything I did mattered…..?

Robert (Mapplethorpe) had little patience with these introspective bouts of mine. He never seemed to question his artistic drives, and by his example I understood that what matters is the work: The string of words propelled by God becoming a poem, the weave of colour and graphite scrawled upon the sheet that magnifies His motion. To achieve within the work perfect balance of faith and execution. From this state of mind comes a light, life charged”