“One hundred years ago, in the last days of the great European explorers, nature had so radically diminished that it was a novelty: it is for this reason that African explorations captured the imagination of nineteenth-century man. To enter a truly natural world was exotic, beyond theexperience of most mankind, who lived from birth to death in entirely man-made circumstances.In the twentieth century the balance has shifted so far that for all practical purposes one may say that nature has disappeared. Wild plants are preserved in hothouses, wild animals in zoos and game parks: artificial settings created by man as a souvenir of the once-prevalent natural world. But an animal in a zoo or a game park does not live its natural life, any more than a man in a city lives a natural life.Today we are surrounded by man and his creations. Man is inescapable, everywhere on the globe, and nature is a fantasy,
a dream of the past, long gone."

Maurice Cavalle - French anthropologist
(from the paper entitled "The Death of Nature" published in 1955).

The quote above is relevant today more so than ever before! For this reason the animals I paint are almost exclusively drawn directly from wildlife photography. Like many South Africans I have personally not experienced wildlife in “natural environments” and because of the popularity of eco-tourism African wildlife has become an exclusive recreational experience. The world we inhabit has become more manipulated and market orientated and to me it seems that natural environments have become more of an exception than a rule. For this reason I have chosen to separate the subjects in some way from their natural environment making them more of a decorative element than a true representation of natural law. In some works the boldness of the stylization makes the animal almost an icon inhabiting a new urban environment.

Education

Tertiary at the Peninsula Technikon 1991 - 1994
Graduated with a National diploma in Graphic Design

Projects

1995
· Exhibited at the Caledon museum

1996
· Completed an apprenticeship in stop action animation at Jack Russel studios
· Exhibited at the Jol (club and restraurant)

1997
· Took part in the Thupelo workshop
· Tutored for Sanlams annual children’s art competition
· Participated in the District Six Public sculpture Festival

1998
· Tutored for Sanlams annual children’s art competition
· Participated in a 10 day residency program on Robben Island as part of Swedish artist exchange program

1999
· I was nominated for a residency program at the Fordsburg art studios (Bag factory) in Johannesburg
· Participated in an etching workshop and artist exchange program facilitated by the Alliance Francaise
· Part of group exhibition at Le bon ton gallery
· Part of group exhibition Battswood Art Centre
· Worked as a professional artist at Greatmore Studios
· Participated in group exhibition at Institute For Democracy in South Africa (IDASA)
· Received 1st prize for best designed poster competition for 1st Cape Town Art festival

2000
· Managed workshops at the Somerset library and the Foundation School of Art.
· Worked as a professional artist at Greatmore Studios
· Part of group exhibition at Durbanville Cultural Society (Rust en Vrede)

2001
· participated in an artist exchange program which involved a group exhibition with etchings of 12 South African artists and running workshops in Brest ,Jarsey and Tulle
· Part of group exhibition at Durbanville Cultural Society (Rust en Vrede)

2002
· Exhibition of banners done for cultural festival in Brest ,Banners of Africa
· Took part in 4th Biennale of Pan-African Circle of Artists (Afrika Heritage)
· Exhibited in Barcelona for charities (UNISEF, Save the children ,)
· Took part in the national Thupelo workshop and exhibited at the Annex of the South African National Gallery

2003
· Took part in the International Thupelo workshop and exhibited at the Annex of the South African National Gallery
· Exhibited in Barcelona for charities (UNISEF, Save the children ,)
· Part of Group exhibition at Durbanville Cultural Society (Rust en Vrede)

2004
· Participated in exhibition (Identity) at Fortis Circustheater Holland celebrating the opening of the Lion King
· Solo exhibition at the Association for Visual arts Cape Town
· Exhibited at the International Congress of Conservation (Bellville Civic Centre)
· Participated in opening group exhibition at the Nonjingi gallery- Cape Town
· Participated in a group exhibition of wildlife at Cape gallery- Cape Town
· Invited to participate in the Wasanii International artists workshop in Kenya
· Invited to participate in Afrika Heritage 2004 Biennale - Lagos Nigeria
· Invited to participate in ABSOLUT MOMENT fundraising exhibition for the AVA artreach fund
· Participating in a group exhibition at Durbanville Cultural Society (Rust en Vrede)

2005
· Participated in exhibition - First Decade of Democracy at Art.b – The Arts Association of Bellville
· Participated in The Cape Gallery Annual Wildlife Exhibition
· Participated in group Wildlife Exhibition at Kühne Boekkooi Gallery in Port Elizabeth
· Invited to participate in ABSOLUT Finale fundraising exhibition for the AVA artreach fund
· Participated in group show at Walter Batiss Gallery in Somerset East

2006
· Group show with Garth Erasmus at the Alliance Française du cap entiteled - Similiar similarities and strange attractors
· Group show at the KKNK festival in Oudshoorn - Branding Me
· P O S I + I V E “HOPE” Art Exhibition-Proceeds from this watershed event will go to the Tapologo Aids Hospice, which is performing an invaluable service in the fight against HIV/AIDS
· Participated in The Cape Gallery Annual Wildlife Exhibition

Work in private collections
South Africa , France ,United Kingdom ,Russia ,Spain ,Italy & Netherlands ,Germany, Australia

Work in corporate collections
Peuple et Culture – Brest (France)
BP South Africa
Joop van den Ende Theater Productions – Holland
Embassy of USA, Nairobi