Selected Exhibitions:
2011
Bodyblocks at the Exposure Gallery, Cape Town
The New Landscape at Museum Gallery, Cape Town
Which new trends or South African artists do you find inspiring at the moment?
For the most part I enjoy documentary photography and photojournalism, where trends are limited to style of shooting and subject matter. What inspires me about the work I see is that I look at it and think how I can do it differently. If I were to follow a trend it would only make me one of many.
Which South African deceased artist do you most admire and why?
Being a foreigner I don’t know of that many South African artists, but from what I’ve seen in my two years here there has been a lot of good photographers. I very much enjoyed the work of Ernest Cole
Which exhibition that you have visited made the greatest impact on you and why?
I went to Tate Modern in London when I was 21 years old. It was a Frida Kahlo exhibition, but there were also quite a few paintings of Salvador Dali. That was the first experience of Surrealist paintings and it was the first tiem I really appreciated art and became interested in it.
Where do you get your inspiration for your work?
It mostly comes when I’m working, when I’m discussing work or reading. Being in a creative state of mind for a long period will result in an influx of ideas. However, I also find I carry with me all of the art that I’ve seen, and it comes to the surface in some way.
Do you have any rituals or habits involving your art-making that you can tell us about?
I mostly enjoy images that surprises me, where I’ve managed to capture something in a way that is new to me. I become easily jaded with my own work and I think that is why there has been such a quick progression since I first started.
What do you like most about being an artist?
It’s mostly a struggle, but it does encourage me to interact with people.
How do you handle bad days when you experience artist's block?
Photography comes easy to me and I’m always enjoying myself when I work, but I only work on these types of works when I’m inspired to do so.
What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
Having been part of a couple of exhibitions, won a competition that got me featured in a four page article in a newspaper and had many images published.
Do you feel that you want to make a difference to the world or in people's lives? If yes, how?
My goal is to one day make a living doing on documentary projects and to someday work in conflict areas, and in that sense, yes. To me there is nothing better than a good photo essay and the greatest images are not only beautiful, but also informative, graphically pleasing, and perhaps most importantly, emotional and intimate, and sometimes they do change people’s lives.
What are your plans for the coming year?
Get a lecturing job so that I can extend my visa and stay longer in South Africa.