Streams of Dreams - Overview

As a stream joins itself to a larger river it increases in velocity and the currents move in a more powerful way, reshaping the environment. Metaphorically, as artists create from different ideas and dreams, they merge into a vibrant river of African talent

As a stream joins itself to a larger river it increases in velocity and the currents move in a more powerful way, reshaping the environment. Metaphorically, as artists create from different ideas and dreams, they merge into a vibrant river of African talent.

Stream of Dreams, showcases the talent and achievement of some of the artists that Artyli represents, it includes works by well-known South African artists such as Andrew Ntshabele, Bambo Sibiya, Mariapaola Mcgurk, Toni Anne Ballenden and Daniel Stompie Selibe. Each of these artists has a unique way of representing the world as they know it.

Andrew Ntshabele for example reflects on his culture, traditions, and community. He draws on his experiences of the present, knowledge of the past and hope for the future when making his paintings. Some of the works that are currently on show at Artily are a response to the women in Andrew’s life. He has painted images of women walking or riding bicycles against backgrounds created from collaged pages of books and music sheets. He explains “I feel that many households are held together by women and they are responsible for raising the family”. The women are depicted in a strong and vibrant way, through the use of brightly coloured traditional fabrics used in their clothing. Andrew sees these bright colours as a way to create a sense of hope for people in South Africa. Rather than focusing on negative aspects of life Andrew has chosen to show that there is a way to move forward and to feel confident. He says that “the concept of the bike symbolizes progress of renewal, of promising times ahead”.

The theme of strong women is also evident in the work of Mariapaola Mcgurk. However, she is the strong women who comments on her need to keep those she loves safe. Her work thus reflects her experience as a mother for example “From control to chaos” is about the uncertainty that mothers feel, she states that the work expresses the “…feeling of being able to keep something fragile and special safe and the knowledge that safety cannot last for very long” Mariapaola works with paper, her images are created by cutting out forms and both the negative and positive spaces become important when engaging with the works. There is a play between recognisable forms and abstract patterns which keep the viewers eye moving across the images.