Kim Mobey is a multidisciplinary artist from South Africa. Her work is driven by human connection, history and published research into the nature of belonging, home, sanity and human happiness.
I painted this for the Cape Town Art Fair, during the prolonged, mismanaged water crisis in the Western Cape. It's a personal perspective on the challenges and societal tensions that accompanied the drought. It's a personal microcosm of broader frustration, stubborn resilience, and adaptation required in the face of government neglect and uncertainty in the lives of ordinary South Africans.
Wabele is the forest spirit, the one we humans carried with us across the planet. Making this sculpture demanded that I rapidly learn and master the challenges of material selection and mould-making.
Aside from the material incompatibilities and navigating the complexities of multi-part mould-making each setback became a lesson learned. The evolution of "Wabele" says something about human perseverance and adaptation in the face of adversity. This is probably a useful metaphor of some sort.
In which we explore painting, sculpture and all the other media I love while rejecting fame and convention for a secluded studio surrounded by nature. Each stroke of the brush or sculpting of material is a personal exploration of human connection and identity. Through art, they evoke emotion and challenge perceptions, inviting viewers to engage with the world in new ways.
This sculpture taught me far more than it should have: mostly about navigating the complexities of outsourcing, what happens when a big company does this badly and the usual stuff about overcoming adversity. It's a more candid reflection than I would like but let's pretend it's only about how there's a gold lining in every accident and an indomitable spirit that lies within us all.
Here are some practical sculpture and mould-making techniques for minimising waste of materials, time and space in the studio.
Not all criticism is useful. Here's how to make sure you're not just trolling, and how to filter the incoming soup of opinions.
For artists in mental health systems and the people who think they're helping. Here's a short take on well-meaning gaslighting and how to not reframe unnecessary pain.