"5'tao ene re fetsa mo" (2024)
"The Bigger Picture" (2023)
"Mahadi: Sekgo Sa Metsi" (2023)
"Mahadi: Hohlabisa Le Hojeswa" (2023)
"What's Left of Us?" (2024)
"What's Left of Us?" (2024)
"What's Left of Us?" (2024)
"What's Left of Us?" (2024)
"What's Left of Us?" (2024)
"What's Left of Us?" (2024)
Artist Statement
In this screen-printing work entitled, “5’tao ene re fetsa mo” (5 thousand and we end here), I depict the impact of the malpractice of globalization and social relationships on the South African economy. The work is inspired by the corruption that occurs in Driver's License Testing Centers, where South Africans are bribed to obtain a license. The South African economy seeks to create jobs through globalization but is constrained by the requirement for connections and certain relationships to sustain themselves in the economy. This leads to an increase in unemployment and a major emphasis on the emotional depth of South Africans, as expressed by the subjects in the foreground.
The creative process consisted of producing a digital collage from photographs I took at a Driver's License Testing Centre and the backside of a driver's license card. The photographs portray subjects that are placed in the foreground of the work to attract the audience's attention. The representation of the father carrying the son and the son staring directly back at the audience emphasizes the emotions implicated by the corruption and provides the opportunity to connect with the audience. The use of a driver's license was inspired by the distinct patterns of barcodes, fingerprints, and organized information, which were effectively used as a background to give a sense of depth. The use of colour in this print was intended to draw attention to the work's main subject, the father carrying his son. I used tonal variance between cold blues and warm yellow to lead the viewer's attention to the son. The prints' diverse textures add to the audience's sense of intimacy and lifelike quality.
