"They'll listen when they want to" Part 1 Print

I am a South African woman artist and writer. Sometimes I see myself as an Outsider artist, because of the daily challenge life can be due to mental health struggles I have. Sometimes my mind can be a prism. a kaleidoscope of wonder and simple, beautiful things move me to paint. Other times, I am imprisoned by only my thoughts - a true hell. I still paint and draw through. I realized recently that this is my nature, very sensitive to every move, every sound, every change- which is life. I've been bumping into it and my past work shows this. A lot of trauma and yearning and seeking - and gaining insight through every piece. My work, my writing, my way of seeing the world in different mediums, is the journey. I see themes around grief and loss, identity, womanhood, transcendence and belonging. I see work about displacement, deep fear, shock but also engrained resilience, a trained Overcoming observant spirit. My art journey was reignited during a psychiatric hospitalization in 2015 and yet, it has taken years to accept my identity as an artist. I foresee a shift in my work as my perspective on my role as an artist, not only woman. (or even woman of colour), has changed. Some collectors love my ink works more than my realistic oil paintings. Then there are the individuals, who see me as a photographer. To me the medium speaks to who I am, there in the moment. Sometimes it feels like different people or perspectives, but my hope is that you connect with it, with that energy. I believe it has something specific to say. I hope I figure it out before I become dust. For now, it's an adventure and as art, it leads the way.