01 Dec Juanita Oosthuizen – Broken but Healed – 3 February 2023
Broken but Healed
Juanita Oosthuizen
Rossouw Modern
Opening Friday 3 February 2023 at 6pm
Until 13 February
This exhibition is an extension to her successful solo show Broken but Healed that was hosted in September 2022 at the Kaseholm Northern Exposure Design Centre, Tomelilla, Sweden.
“To be creative – not only in artistic expression, but also in daily life – this has always been my passion”
‘A chance encounter many years ago in the Tate Modern in London triggered my current choice of artistic medium. That
day, I came across a tiny artwork in a vast, empty hall with a tiny figure as subject. It immediately appealed to my love of
delicate minimalism.
Today, I am inspired to come up with creative ways to incorporate miniature figurines into works of art – placing them in a
carefully planned scenario fashioned from board and paper. This is mounted in a box frame to create a 3D environment. I
work mostly in black, white and grey, sometimes introducing a smattering of colour to create an element of surprise. When
I compose a piece, I find myself instinctively drawn to depict something surreal, wistful, pensive and sometimes playful.
At times, I use old photographs as a backdrop to the figurines, to create an element of nostalgia and tender memory. Clients
have also on occasion, asked me to create a piece that depicts a fond memory from their own past.
Recently I have introduced paper weaving as another artistic medium. I enjoy the process of weaving and love the texture
of the final image. The process is challenging not to disturb and distort the picture – but so that it is still recognisable. The
new woven image is unique – “broken but healed”.
My work varies from playful to serious and emotional, with the subject matter telling a story through the body language or
interaction of the figurines. I create a space for the spectator to make his or her own interpretation.
I find inspiration everywhere – in nature, in daily life, in the city, in books on illustration, photography and design.
I am blessed with an abundance of energy and an overactive imagination. Images constantly tumble into consciousness,
and the days, weeks and months often feel simply too short for all I still wish to accomplish.’ – Juanita Oosthuizen –
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