THE NATIONAL Arts Festival has been home to a number of thoughtprovoking art exhibitions and installations over the years.
One of those has been the fine art exhibition put together by art students at Rhodes University The exhibition consist of work by first, second, thirdand fourthyear students and range from oil on canvas to photography.
Although there is no particular theme, there definitely is a common thread, one of societal consciousness about our physical appearance.
One particularly moving piece is by thirdyear student, Refiloe Matsoso.
The piece, which consists of four very simple photographs and is titled Her Conscious Conscience, is a depiction of how the artist wants to view herself in society and not adopt society's perspective on her.
Matsoso added a handwritten note to her work stating: "Society, two conflicting worlds collide as one side fights for pure and the other screams superficial."
Another interesting, but stunning piece is an oil on canvas series by Akissi Beukman, a thirdyear student. Titled, Mind Unconditional, the series looks at the mind and how it conditions itself to things happening around it.
The paintings are done in shades of black and brown, using minimal bright colours. There is also a beautiful image [Common thread of societal consciousness, physical images of a woman in a graduation cape, which has been lasered onto a mat. It was interesting to see a mat used in this particular art form.
There is also a rather unique installation by Lauren King which is called BbyGrl.Gamez + Sxc.Gamez. The installation comprises a desk, video games, female essentials and an ashtray.
This exhibition also runs alongside the District Six Commemoration Print Exchange. This exhibition marks 50 years since District Six was declared a White Group Area under apartheid in 1966. Themed Remembering 60 000 Forced Goodbyes, the exhibition includes work by both local and international artists and is worth checking out. The exhibition runs for the duration of the festival.
PORTRAYING: In Her Conscious Conscience the artist uses simple photos to show how she sees herself
Source: https://www.gate5.co.za/read/26205/qv/50276038/140221532/126845/t