The idea that succulence builds resilience intrigues me. I am a forgetful gardener, so I filled the walkways outside my studio with succulent plants like cacti, echeveria, and aloe. And then mostly forgot about them. Despite my neglect, despite dry winters and barren soil, they flourished, spilling out of the wheelbarrows and tires that I had used as planters. Between tasks, I found myself stepping out to admire their strength and vibrancy. I started picking them to include in my sculptures. Even in a dark room covered in microcrystalline wax, they continued to grow.
What if my life could flourish similarly? What if I could drink up every drop of joy and delight that came my way, and store it up for drier moments? Every day has as many opportunities for succulence as there are dewdrops scattered across the morning grass. Like the feel of warm cotton in the middle of the night. Like a burst of mango sliding down my throat. Like the millions of leaves that make up a tree, more than my eyes could ever take in all at once. If I make it my work, my nature, to absorb every morsel of succulence that I can find, then in the moments when the world seems to harden, I will have my own fleshy stores of softness waiting to embrace those sharp edges and transform them into growth.
What if my life could flourish similarly? What if I could drink up every drop of joy and delight that came my way, and store it up for drier moments? Every day has as many opportunities for succulence as there are dewdrops scattered across the morning grass. Like the feel of warm cotton in the middle of the night. Like a burst of mango sliding down my throat. Like the millions of leaves that make up a tree, more than my eyes could ever take in all at once. If I make it my work, my nature, to absorb every morsel of succulence that I can find, then in the moments when the world seems to harden, I will have my own fleshy stores of softness waiting to embrace those sharp edges and transform them into growth.
motherhood
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Title: 'Motherhood' Bronze & resin 24cm x 10cm Open edition Price: R 9 400 Motherhood is a many-layered experience, comprising aspects of both strength and vulnerability, often at the same time. The voluptuous leaves of the succulent are both comforting and fierce. She rests in a pool of water, a never-ending source of nourishment. The edges of the vessel are jagged and its surface glass-smooth.
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replete
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Title: 'Replete' Bronze & resin 24cm x 8cm Open edition Price: R 9 400 |
scarred
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Title: 'Scarred' Bronze 8cm x 6cm Open edition Price: R 2 800 |
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