Local artist Razia Myers releases a new painting titled Cry. Myers started her oil painting in 2018 but the recent unrest in our country inspired her to finish the artwork this year. Following the events in Gauteng and Kwazulu Natal where citizens partook in violent protest and looting. Myers says her painting of an African woman in a forest filled with large trees illuminating light seeping through the darkness depicts the state of our country.
“I wanted to depict the state of our country by visually highlighting the empty canals, lakes and rivers remnant of the sleuths and slams found in our townships in South Africa,” Said Myers.
Capturing the despair and sadness
The Oranjezicht resident perfectly displays the emotions running through our country by capturing the emotion of sadness in her eyes. “When all the turmoil began recently. I immediately thought of this magnanimous spirit portrayed in this painting and decided to rework her emotion even more,” said Myers. The exhausted expression may allude to the emotional state of our country dealing with the ongoing pandemic. Myers says the arts and entertainment industry has suffered greatly due to the pandemic. Many have lost their jobs as the unemployment rate increases.
The immediate trigger for the chaos was the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma. However, as the protests continued it began to highlight the challenges many South Africans are faced with. The light painted in the darkness of the forest symbolizes the glimmer of hope we can still hold onto as a country. “A land with so many resources and unbridled potential is surely a missed opportunity. One cannot help but feel the helplessness and hopelessness that so many of our people fear and face every single day. ”
The artist says some of her works are currently on display at the Jaffer Modern Gallery for an all-female group exhibition that runs until Saturday 24 July. The theme carried out poses the question of “Does this resonate with you?”. Myers shares how she would like to hone in on what we look for as comfort and guidance during a time in a pandemic. “To me, that means dreaming of a new world. A world made of popping colours and fantastic creatures and a world in which we can all peacefully exist. I want to believe in that Utopia for our country South Africa,” concludes Myers.
