It is always interesting to learn more about our artists and to get to know them better. This week we talked to Grace Kotze one of our artist from Durban
Where are you from and how does that affect your work?
I live in Durban which has a large effect on my work. The city is full of animals, feral and ones in the zoos, parks and gardens. I have experienced many incongruous sightings where Egyptian Gees are taking up the road walking their goslings to new homes, Peacocks under a tree with roads on either side, Dassies on the verge among many other sightings. This incongruity and visual richness is a constant influence in my work.
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
Rembrandt is a constant influence, the manner in which he has the ability to evoke such compassion and emotion by manipulate mood and composition through light and dark. He is a true master in evoking human emotion through his tender articulation of the human portrait and form.
Tell me about your favourite medium.
I love oil paint yet changed to acrylics for health reasons. Both are wonderful for their own unique qualities, but the quick drying nature of acrylics allows me to paint on a work constantly and stay connected. The potential for glazing is also wonderful with so many great brands available in acrylic paint.
Where do you find inspiration?
I have so many but my primary influences at the moment are my surrounds and the public galleries with open access images.
When is your favourite time of day to create?
All day, from just before sunrise to just after sunset, I treat each day like an ordinary workday. I generally take a long lunch as my energy levels dip midday.
Describe how art is important to society.
Art provides a prompt for the public’s imagination with I believe is very important for mental health. It also provides beauty, another crucial element in troubled times.Social conscious is another theme that artists explore, crucial for enlightenment and social awareness.
What motivates you to create?
If I did not create, I would be a very unhappy person! I am also a very visual person, so it makes sense to immerse myself in the visual world of painting.
How do you define success as an artist?
To paint with honesty and authenticity.
Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Painting helps me to see the world with clarity and highlights its rich emotional and visual fabric which brings me pleasure daily.
How do you develop your art skills?
Development comes from painting with a critical eye and constantly questioning decision making. It is also essential to paint constantly and destroy works that don’t work no matter how long they have taken to produce.
We have some beautiful art works by Grace Kotze available in our gallery, to view online click here or view them at our gallery.