Locating my cup of tea
March 20, 2023
Subject o’clock
April 3, 2023
I was born in Jozi. For years I have traveled around the city, unintentionally observing buildings and structures but not really knowing their background.
Do I really know my city’s history? What are these buildings/areas that hold untold secrets relating to faith, pain, business and/or entertainment? Such rich culture and yet it seems to be disregarded, ignored or forgotten.
Commencement of a series
To learn more about my city I started a series of A5 pen sketches with watercolour. My specification for selection included a historical/grand building/structure that I knew of and wanted to know more about. I would then research it and provide a high-level summary of its history with each painting and posted them on Facebook.
Knowing more, not just seeing
I went from “just noticing” the Nelson Mandela bridge in Jozi, to knowing that it spans over more than 40 railway lines. I learnt what “Kofifi” meant and how it got destroyed by apartheid. 11 little paintings with some brief explanations, tiny pieces of our rich, diverse, and tragic history. It didn’t only raise my interest to seek more, it made me want to create more to somehow preserve it all so that we wouldn’t forget and these structures would be preserved. Some of them are very sadly in dilapidated states.
Wow - some features!
These little paintings bounced around, were enjoyed, shared and commented on, and soon they were noticed through a very precious friend by the Good Things Guy, Brent Lindeque. My showcasing Jozi paintings were featured in the Good Things Guy blog and related social media. Subsequently, they were published in the November 22 - January 23 issue of “The Big Issue Magazine” which is sold in Cape Town. What a treat and what a privilege!
As reported on these pieces are not for sale but rather for everyone to learn about and enjoy.
