Acrylic on canvas
1220mm x 860mm
This piece remains a seminal moment in my creative journey.
It's my matric final practical, under the assigned theme “conceal to reveal” and naturally, I turned to nature; cue chameleon.
Little did I know much more would be revealed to me. Learning the power of slowing down and working through detail in small, intentional moments as well as beginning to question where creativity ends and art begins.
The thing is, I received a final mark of 100%, confirmed by external moderators and the department alike. This was something that never quite sat comfortably with me and something I rarely spoke about too. It marked the beginning of a deeper question: should art be graded at all?
I believe creativity is something we are all born into. It’s visible in children, before it becomes a school subject that is graded, shaped, or named. Over time, those seen as “good” continue, while the others quietly let go of that part of themselves. Did the child that received below 50% suddenly stop enjoying the process, or was it because they were led to believe they're no longer creative, suddenly?
Yes, like with many things, practice helps to refine and improve technique or train the eye, but at the end of the day being creative is all about the process.
I therefore believe that creativity is less about outcome and rather an outlet, a release and a way of finding balance while processing reality. We all need this! Like many creative forms, art becomes an unspoken language, always subjective and reflective, but ultimately a catalyst for connection.