Reflective Impressions is a series that began in 2013, during the December of Nelson Mandela’s passing. As the nation was reminded of the past, I, too, started to reflect on the history of our country, the future towards which we were heading and the role I would play in it all.  Several ideas that had been stirring in my mind for months culminated in the creation of my first piece, In Sacrifice and Forgiveness. Thereafter, I continued to focus on creating pieces from portraits that unveiled qualities, as captured in each title (Yearning for Greater, Un-layered, Contemplation and A Stillness), that resonated deeply with me.

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Yearning for Greater (2014)

“She is a beautiful piece of broken pottery, put back together by her own hands. And a critical world judges her cracks while missing the beauty of how she made herself whole again.” ~ JmStorm

In the African context, it is often women that hold families and communities together, slaving their souls away for a better life for those around them. They are always yearning for greater, while shielding their pain and hiding their cracks. This portrait is a reflection of those women, those that find themselves caught between ambitiously charging forward, while trying to hold on to tradition, as symbolised by the doek or head-scarf.

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In Sacrifice and Forgiveness (2013)

Madiba’s life story reminds me most of the qualities of sacrifice and forgiveness, not in the passive sense, but rather sacrifice with true purpose, and unconditional forgiveness. As Madiba looks into the distance, his subtle smile is representative of the young optimistic South African democracy. The lines used symbolise prison bars while the black and white colour pallet was utilised as a representation of the Apartheid era.

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Un-layered (2015)

“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade your reality for a role. You trade in your senses for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask…” ~ Jim Morrison

Marilyn was one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s, however the direct profile with soft eyes in this portrait reveals a rawness, freed from pretence. The colour pallet was chosen to create a Pop Art feel, for which the image of Marilyn is synonymous. This causes the viewer to subconsciously feel a sense of familiarity with this piece.

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Contemplation (2016)

“Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual” ~ Ernest Hemingway

I often romanticise the early 90s, the era of social, artistic and cultural explosion. Picasso, lived through those times, challenging the status quo by pushing the boundaries with cubism. The old eyes filled with character in this portrait stare directly towards the viewer as if Picasso is imparting a responsibility to the next generation of revolutionaries.

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A Stillness (2015)

A Stillness (2015)

“In stillness lives wisdom, in quiet you’ll find peace and in solitude you’ll remember yourself.” ~ Robin Sharma

In this age of chaos that we find ourselves, this peaceful meditative persona in soft pastel colours is a smoothing reminder to reflect within on our bigger purpose. This image instantly instils a sense of calm into any space that it is placed.