Waiting for Messiah

Title: Waiting for Messiah
Medium: Charcoal drawing on Fabriano Aquerelle paper (300g)
Dimensions: 800 cm x 200 cm
Date: 2015

Description of Artwork:

This very large scroll drawing explores the psychological and spiritual experience of the self reflected in and through the life of the other – in this case, reflecting upon multi-layered cross-cultural narrative, in which case, human experience transcends racial, cultural and social boundaries in its innate transformative potential.

This drawing explores the life story of a prison inmate that I work with in the prison where our late President Nelson Mandela spent much of his time before he was released. Naturally, this inmate's identity is strictly anonymous is used as subject in my drawing through which my own personal experience is reflected... Furthermore, this work explores the idea of "waiting" - through its particular reference to the hope of redemption from seeming impossible circumstances and the accompanied effects of the psychological and spiritual effects of this experience. ...one could argue that all of humanity are waiting for a release from prison/personal circumstances to change... My choice of using a white, prison inmate as subject also can be regarded as a reflection upon the social circumstances in South Africa for the current white minority of our population amidst ever changing political circumstances.... Furthermore, this drawing also refers (through it's title) to a waiting for a "messiah" or "a redeemer" that could bring about true freedom from suffering, psychological and spiritual oppression of the poor and those who are simply bound in their own inevitable oppressive circumstances...

Due to the exceptional size of this drawing it becomes almost reminiscent of an operatic backdrop in front of which “other life stories might be enacted”… Furthermore, this drawing explores the dramatic through a sense of movement in the appearing and disappearing images and also explores the luminal quality of being and becoming through the actual drawing trace which, in places, seeks to becomes less representational and becomes more of a psychological and spiritual exploration through the conduit of human emotion.