BEAUTY: Painting--Andre Serfontein

With yesterday's posting of Travis Collinson's exaggerated figures in mind (seen here), let's look at the paintings of Cape Town artist Andre Serfontein. Instead of exaggerating the eyes like Collinson, he paints his models with sensual, elongated necks.

Top to bottom: Braced; Cityslicker; Empty Crisis; Eutierria; Fractured Dream; He cried a lot but he stood his ground; Milk and Honey; Monkey on the Shoulder; Paradise Recovered; Porthole; The Crossing; The Fur

https://www.andreserfontein.com/

BEAUTY: Mixed Media--Turiya Magadlela

These fun, colorful pieces by South African artist Turiya Magadlela utilize nylon and cotton pantyhose and fishnet stockings on canvas with sealant. I love the palette, and the unexpected material which, according to the artist, speaks to a more weightier and profound idea: the "fragility, transparency, beauty, pain, distortions and liberations of a woman." Magadlela won the prestigious FNB Art Prize last year and this year exhibited work at The Armory in New York City.

http://www.blankprojects.com/artists/turiya-magadlela/

"Phenomenal Woman" by Laura Mvula

Just try not to smile while watching this wildly colorful, joyful video of Laura Mvula (previously here) singing "Phenomenal Woman" filmed in the Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town, South Africa.

Nobody ever told her she was beauty
One day, she realized she was already free
The color in her eyes was fire rising
She found the light inside, a new horizon

Oh my my, oh my, she flies

She battled trials and every kind of tribulation
She reveled in adventure and imagination
She never listened to no hater, liar
Breaking boundaries and chasing fire

Oh my my, oh my, she flies

It don't matter what people say
Cause they don't know you, where you come from or where you're going
You are phenomenal woman
You are phenomenal, phenomenal!

http://www.lauramvula.com/

BEAUTY: Painting--Kirsten Sims

South African artist Kirsten Sims is a gifted illustrator. She creates naïve, whimsical scenes that remind me of the quirky work of the great Maira Kalman (previously here). Both women seem to be drawn to joyful narratives.

The following images are from Sims' second solo show called "You Are Here," shown last month (April 2016) at the Cape Town gallery Salon 91.

Top to bottom: Capetonian Sundowner; Fairweather Family Photograph; Limoncello; Loosely Based On Real Events; Never Ever Land; Night Bus To Nowhere; Night In Shining Armour; No Tinder At The Table; Spirit Animal Convention; The Feminists; The Sky Was Faking It; You Are Here

http://kirstensims.myportfolio.com/

Getting Away From The Cold...

The stunning Spa House by Metropolis Design in South Africa. Notice how the spa itself is under water with windows that look into the pool!

Metropolis Design says, "The building is conceived of as a hovering set of abstract sculptural elements, lightly suspended over a large waterscape, which forms an extended terrace on the mountainside...Water as a rejuvenative element, constitutes the primary experience of the building and provides its symbolic language. The guest accommodation block hovers dramatically over the water and projects into space towards the mountain and sea. It shelters the dining area, itself submerged below water level. Pool decks are arranged as islands in a sea of water, connected by a bridge. The underwater spa with large viewing windows into the pool has a sense of stillness and mystery."

http://www.metropolisdesign.co.za/