Lion's Breath Exibition
My grandfather loved going to the Kruger National Park every chance he could and the lions were his favourite animal. One of his favourite things to do with us kids was to make a powerful growl. I think it was his way of connecting to us.
The interesting thing about a lion when it growls, it sticks his tongue out and this reminds me of the posture in yoga called lion's breath. One sticks out your tongue and makes a loud growl sound to release build up emotions, tension, and pressure, repeating that sound over again in this releasing posture.
With Lion's breath, I am creating a breathing space, a sort of reprieve from tension. I have not chosen to focus on any political and social issues as there is no shortage in South Africa and I think a lot of artists have explored this arena and is well documented. Lion's Breath is more about letting go, creating a breathing space, to alleviate stress, and to heal from our daily routine.
In the opposing position we have the dog, playfully and humoristically interacting with the lion, mirroring his action. The dog is my trademark and always features as a theme in my artwork because I love dogs, and dogs are silly beings teaching us to relax.
The design of the lion's mane has a twirly twisting ripple motion showing him shrugging off the tension. This twisting rotating mane is replicated on the wall in a display of colours to offset the reflective sculpture surfaces. This wall art is in 5 different freeze frames capturing the motion of the lion sticking its tongue out in 13 colours leading to 65 unique pieces.
To further complement these pieces, the exhibition features a very modern and playful take on the sculptures by casting them in colourful crystal. The transparency, colour and brilliance plays around with the light, highlighting its form and making them a statement piece in any classic or contemporary home.
