Art to me means awareness of self in my environment as both a physical and a spiritual being. For me, art carries the ability to reflect the truth in both the physical and the spiritual aspects of life. These are the scarlet threads that I weave with in creating an artistic visual narrative.
In my current focus on ceramic sculpture, I allow the old art of storytelling to move into the foreground. My sculptures often focus on the female form, the senses of human beings, and the symbolic nature of animals like the lion and the endangered riverine rabbit. I explore these between the different natures of functional art and the sculpture as an absolute object.
I experience a divine privilege during the creative process where the original idea
gets morphed into the end result and a humbleness, excitement, and awe upon
viewing the finished piece.
A type of foundation is built as my art encapsulates the clay medium as something
that has foundational value, and also the thought that these creations themselves
form a bridge between the physical and spiritual connecting the viewer with the
message. These thoughts explore both the structural and the supportive nature of
the narrative.
Growing up I experimented with a wide library of creative mediums informally. When
my youngest of three boys was one year old, I was awarded the Anton Smit prize for
the most upcoming South African artist by the Alette Wessels foundation who
spesialised in investment art. I participated in many solo and group exhibitions and
my paintings feature in local and international collections.
As an art teacher, hundreds of children and adults have passed through my studio
and still do. As an all-around creative, I have exercised discipline in oil painting,
performance art (some with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra), sculptures,
sand painting, creative writing, drawing, writing and directing and presently sculpting
with clay.
Before my current focus on ceramic sculpture I extensively printed images of my
original oil paintings onto clothing items and created colorful, fashionable items
which were sold locally and internationally.
Ilse Kleyn, Jenny Krog, and I hosted the first Prophetic Art Conference in South
Africa in Parys Freestate, which is my previous residence. Out of this conference,
many Prophetic Art movements were born across South Africa.
I was invited as a conference speaker to Thailand, Botswana, the Artist Quarter in
Marseilles France, and all over South Africa. I would lead the audience into an
exploration of the connection between creativity and spirituality. These experiences
gave me another outlook on art beyond the borders of one’s present environment.
I was born in Windhoek Namibia in 1973 but finished all levels of schooling in South
Africa.
Karin TerBlanche
08334099041
terblanchekarin@gmail.com
