I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in the 1960's. While South Africa is stunningly beautiful it has a troubled history. As a white child I experienced some of the best of my country but I was also affected by the suffering Apartheid created. The process of working on this autobiographical series has had a profound impact on me. Painting becomes cathartic where I recapitulate my life: old wounds are healed, lost parts of myself are retrieved and a new understanding occurs.

Visual Biography: Growing up in South Africa

did i think my nanny was my mother was she thinking of her own child

the shadow of apartheid separates our realities

the veld has hidden dangers in its wild beauty i was taught not to venture out

at victoria falls the monkey tricked me i thought we were playmates until it bit me

in a language i could not understand regina told her visitor how to keep the tokoloshes away

it took years to see the hidden shadow

Oil on Panel -  12" x 12"

when i was sixteen school children in soweto were shot for protesting discrimination i carry my own guilt

i stand at the threshold of many cultures searching for my place

i see a new kind of circle created in south africa

HOME