Artboard

The threads that link the ancient and the modern are an excellent starting point to describe the work of Cape Town based artist, Danielle Clough (Yes, there are two sewing references in that one sentence and no, we do not think it is overkill). Danielle’s colourful, delicate embroidery celebrates the joining of the old with the new in a wistful and playful manner that is thoroughly modern in approach, yet nostalgic at heart. She utilises a craft that is perceived as archaic but takes inspiration from current pop culture icons and the timeless beauty of nature. Her choice of materials also reflects this fascination with time and her vibrant picture-scapes are just as likely to adorn a vintage tennis racquet as they are a rusty chain link fence or a brand-new pair of Gucci sneakers.

NORMAN O’FLYNN (b. 1971) lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa.
He is a prolific painter and sculptor who has held numerous solo shows and participated in group exhibitions, residencies and workshops across the globe. His love of an interdisciplinary approach and cross-cultural collaboration add extra pep to his distinct visual language, a vocabulary of immediately and globally recognisable imagery.
“ O’Flynn knows Pop to be an irresistible lure, he also knows it to be the defining symptom of human error. By trafficking inside of it, he exposes its folly and opens up its strengths. ‘The initial image grabs you and pulls you in.’ Once inside, however, we are snagged in ‘unfuckery,’ words, signs, symbols that expose Pop’s corrosive lure. “ - Ashraf Jamal, arts writer and author

Skubalisto is a respected Cape Town-based, South African artist.
The painter, muralist and portraitist is active and engaged in social and cultural awareness raising in his country and community. His work addresses pertinent issues around social justice, identity and belonging. He is particularly passionate and vocal about young people on the African continent and their futures. Having completed his studies in visual and fine art he has over the last ten years built an acumen and practice that is distinctive and exciting.

Richard is inspired by the colour, patterns and elements of culture and its strong connection to history. Using his creative expression he documents a moment in time that connects to the past, but also engages with the present. He finds ‘abstract realism’ as a means of capturing the essence of his emotions and each painting as an exploration and a journey to discover new and surprising visual representations.

Working predominantly in oils, though most of his pieces are mixed-media, South African-born artist Christiaan Conradie likens his process to that of CPR, saying: “The moment I feel like I’ve breathed enough life into a piece I leave it to live on its own.”

Bruno Morphet is a graphic designer, dj and occasional writer living and working in Cape Town. Graduating with honours from the University of Cape Town, Bruno spent 15 years in the world of corporate advertising before starting his own studio, Plan B Design in 2007.

Working under the moniker Cheeky Observer, Alicia McFadzean is a self-taught contemporary artist raised in Australia, now based in Cape Town.
Alicia works across a variety of media to produce fine art and large scale murals. Public walls are a favourite, given her love of interacting with different communities and finding joy in creating site-specific work to enrich the cultural microcosm therein. Magical in flavour, Alicia’s art practice is guided heavily by her imagination. She draws inspiration from intangible structures of light, of shadow, geometry and energetic frequency. As someone who is acutely tuned into natural environment and sensitive to the sustainability issues we now face, elements of the natural environment inevitably play a fundamental role in the visual fantasies she strives to create. Feminine energy comes to life through deconstructed plant matter; specific animal spirits are called upon to weave symbolism and the thematic threads of each piece. Often folded into the human form, or laced with a hint of sacred geometry; the overall result presents itself as a colourful dance between realism and abstraction.

Brett Murray is one of South Africa’s most renowned artists, and has been called “The dark prince of South African pop (art)”. Working with steel, bronze and an assortment of media, Murray aims to critically entertain. This often includes pop-culture iconography that he skillfully manipulates through satire and subversion. He is remembered by Wavescape Artboard Project fans for his infamous surfboard featuring a naked Bart Simpson with an erection, and the words “I Love Africa!”. Murray’s work has been exhibited extensively in South Africa and abroad, and he was the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year for 2002. He is a full time artist and lives in Cape Town with his wife Sanell Aggenbach and their two sons.