“Portrait of Fatima February at The Iziko National Gallery”
OIl on Linen, 50 x 60, 2023
This painting was completed from life over five sessions at the Iziko National Gallery. Fatima February is a national treasure: a bottomless repository of cultural knowledge, having served Iziko institutions for over 45 years.
An accomplished artist herself, her work - which often references her upbringing in District Six - forms part of the National Gallery’s permanent collection. We chose to seat her in front of the Ha Barona, a large recreation of ancient cave paintings in Lesotho. For me, these ancient paintings represent the beginning of art history and prove how integral drawing and painting is to humanity.
Since Ha Barona is a recreation, it is in essence a master copy, referencing the work that I did during my year long residency at the Iziko National Gallery. The painting is now on show at Rust-En-Vrede gallery as part of the “Top 40” exhibition of the South African Portrait Awards, and I believe it is one of the only ones done from life.
