Suikerbos I

Created for A Dialogue of Senses—an exhibition celebrating South African Women’s Month—this body of work responds directly to the interplay between craft, history, and sensory translation. I was presented with two pieces of jewelry to use as inspiration for works of art: a red and blue woven brooch and a Vhavenda woven necklace.

Captivated by their intricate structures and organic, handcrafted qualities, I responded with a series of vibrant, energetic floral paintings. The tactile surfaces and bright tones echo the sensual, ornamental nature of women's adornments throughout history. These small-scale works are deliberately playful and unpretentious; they do not seek rigid perfection or heavy conceptualism, but rather invite a sense of ease, timelessness, and pure enjoyment.

In my art, I love to explore an enigmatic, secretive, and mysterious realm. In these small, almost abstract landscapes, I invite the viewer into a concealed, private world—one that is dreamlike, pensive, rich, and deeply layered. I interpret these as intrinsically feminine qualities, which I express by weaving marks, textures, and colours to create paintings that are grounded in my daily walks through the manmade urban/suburban forest. For me they reflect the deep need that humans have to relate to plants.