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The Floradale Art Gallery will be welcoming spring through their latest exhibition, which goes up this Saturday and will last well into summer.
Titled Life Spring, the gallery’s latest exhibition is a celebration of rebirth and all things new. A select few of East London’s artists will have collaborative works on display for the duration of the exhibition.
Floradale gallery manager Jen Rowland said the series of artworks selected were colourful portrayals of the Eastern Cape’s astounding beauty.
Selecting the 20 artists whose creations will be on display was an organic process that brought the beauty of the province alive through a blend of different artworks.
“We try to portray the Eastern Cape very strongly in all our artworks, and race is an essential part of what we do. We live in a multicultural province and that comes out in the way we represent ourselves artistically. We can’t have just one cultural group represented if we are to fully capture beauty in the Eastern Cape.”
An avid artist herself, Rowland will be displaying her latest artwork, which is a visual representation of the landscape she witnessed on a drive from Kimberly recently. “I was drawn to the stark pale yellow grasslands, the ochre red earth and the torn trees. It was so different to our more subtropical Eastern Cape around here,” she said.
The exhibition features different mediums including oil painting, photography, ceramics and glass.
“We are bringing in more craft work like beaded cloth, which is typical of the province. It will comprise a high-quality cross-section of artworks,” she said.
One of the artists set to showcase their collection is Mafuzandile Solombela,
His twin-set artworks are titled Colours of East London and Imibala yaseMonti. He said his clay-painting with transparent glazing pieces were inspired by the aesthetic beauty of East London.
“They represent the natural beauty of Imonti, from the green nature to the beautiful blue beaches.
“I’m excited to be part of very few local exhibitions which bring together people from different races. It reflects positively on the growth of the local art industry.”