Bliss/ Saligheid/ Ulonwabo

Every piece of art starts with a unique motivation - for me, it's always of a personal nature. I don't paint someone that I saw - I paint someone that I met personally and my ultimate goal is to have their personality and story be translated onto the canvas. It's the real emotion behind peoples' smiles that fascinate me. The main focus of my piece will always be on the subject.

I paint in monochrome tones because no colour exists that can accurately represent every unique and colourful story - it is this contradiction that adds power to the artwork as a whole. South Africa is known as the rainbow nation but some stories already have their set palet of colours - because of the emotional situation that the subject finds him/herself in.

I believe that you don't have to travel on only one path, and I'm often led on a path of community service within rural South Africa. Here, I meet my Smiles of Africa. Behind the crooked smile and teary eyes, behind the Smiles of Africa lies more than the eye could see. The raw emotion that comes with every smile, captures - not only your eye but your heart and soul as well.

The art-making process consists of firstly finding the perfect photograph as the subject. This is the biggest part of my art-making process because the photograph is the essence of the artwork, the story it's telling. It is essential to understand that the people I paint are real people living in Africa. They feel things differently coming from the circumstances they do. You have to keep the context of the inspiration in mind.

Everything that I see and hear on these paths of mine, brings me to this singular reason for my art - showing the real, pure beauty of South Africa's heart: its children and its people. Striving to convey to the viewer that Africa does not only start and end with its beautiful landscapes but Africa's true beauty lies within our communities and within our nation's people!

Pure bliss within your own circumstances is a powerful state of being that can transform how you perceive the world around you. When you are truly content with your life, it opens your eyes to the beauty that surrounds you. You begin to notice the small wonders that you might have otherwise overlooked—the gentle sway of leaves in the breeze, the warmth of the sun on your skin, the smiles of the children you get to feed.

This sense of contentment often manifests itself in a smile that is so genuine and contagious that it can touch the lives of those around you. Just like this woman from a soupkitchen in a small village in Seleni, Transkei.

Your smile becomes a beacon of joy, lighting up the faces of others and spreading warmth and happiness wherever you go.
Laughter, too, becomes a natural extension of your blissful state. Your laughter is infectious, drawing others in and lifting their spirits. It becomes a shared experience, a moment of joy that brings people together and creates bonds that transcend words.

In this way, your joy has the power to carry a whole village. Your village. Your bliss becomes a gift that you share freely, enriching the lives of those around you and creating a sense of community and togetherness.
So, embrace your bliss, for in doing so, you not only enhance your own life but also the lives of those around you. Your smile and laughter are contagious, and your joy can truly carry a whole village.