Under the Moonlight

Flying back to a moment in time is what I do with this series of works. I wanted those moments alive again, even though through handmade images – I wanted to own the vibe; be somehow in control; correcting things I wanted to be corrected, or even add things I wanted to see happening – now, it would be me  a photographer sent to capture and bring memories of that space in time alive.

“Under the MoonLight” series is divided into subseries, subject wise:

1 – Dancing session;
2 – Basketball session;
3 – A mother who loved reading;
4 – Family reunion and children reunion;
5 – Tennis and golf professionals who felt as out of place;
6 – Musicians who kept practicing in group or alone;
7 – Mothers and children (mothers spending time with their children);
8 – Love stories (Romance time under the moonlight);
9 – Back from school and back from boarding school images; etc, etc.

Our nights were odd, as the electricity (one provided by a local public generator) went off after 8pm or 9pm, our light for the rest of the night was provided by the moon, the days that it came to into play. Some days it was intense and other days it was weak and sometimes off season…

I then had the idea to travel to the coast; St. France’s Bay and Jeffrey’ Bay, the Eastern Cape tourist mecca for the December holidays, and try to sell some art works – I had relatives living in Humansdorp, 20min from Jeffrey’s Bay and St. France’s Bay where I have been before. I saw that it could be possible to sell something.

In my first attempt to be part of the art fair in St. France’s Bay, I met a fellow artist, art teacher and mentor Alecia Chaput, who became my mentor and helper.  Alecia made her studio available for me to produce this body of works.

Basketball Under the Moonlight | Graphite on paper

Our nights were odd, as the electricity (one provided by a local public generator) went off after 8pm or 9pm, our light for the rest of the night was provided by the moon, the days that it came to into play. Some days it was intense and other days it was weak and sometimes off season…

I then had the idea to travel to the coast; St. France’s Bay and Jeffrey’ Bay, the Eastern Cape tourist mecca for the December holidays, and try to sell some art works – I had relatives living in Humansdorp, 20min from Jeffrey’s Bay and St. France’s Bay where I have been before. I saw that it could be possible to sell something.

In my first attempt to be part of the art fair in St. France’s Bay, I met a fellow artist, art teacher and mentor Alecia Chaput, who became my mentor and helper.  Alecia made her studio available for me to produce this body of works.

Now flourishing with encouragement from my fellow artist, teacher and mentor, “Fragments” began her journey. Painting has been my favorite thing since the beginning of my art career, without neglecting the excitement I found in printmaking, but as I said, “Fragments” was to depict instances of my life, my journey, and the best way to do this was to navigate through all the instances and engage almost all the techniques I had learned so far.

My personal life has been marked by endless sacrifices; the most painful was, going to a foreign country, and being separated from my mother and four brothers who look to me as their elder brother. I sometimes felt isolated, even in the comfort of friends or colleges. This aspect you will also find depicted in my works.

I found myself sometimes wearing a mask, in order to shield myself, but I don’t think my character ever changed; I believe my personal journey, is reflected in this body of works.  

I have got moments of boldness, faith, courage, doubt, weakness, madness, stupidity, peace, nostalgia, etc. And these moments or aspects flow in the colours, lines, shapes, subject placement, and even in the main subject of the painting or drawing. So, I am happy that I can call each one of these aspects and instances, a ‘fragment’.

In most of my works there is a strong presence of female figures. For me, the female figure depicts my struggle; the delicacy and beauty of my journey. I also find in the female figure metaphors, to depict my emotions, strength, weakness, wisdom, humor etc.
I enjoy abstraction, which features quite prominently in my work; is this perhaps my mask? I don’t know…the abstraction seems just to happen! 

            I feel that the “Fragments” is just beginning. There is a lot left. Of course, it’s a journey.