When people look for inspiration in life, one of the first places they turn to is art. Art as inspiration is something everyone can relate to – because art is born from inspiration and inspires it in others. In the words of Picasso, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”. Inspirational artwork can be found all around us – especially in the South African art world.
Creating something from nothing
One of the reasons that art is so inspirational for everyone is the awe we feel when looking at art. Daily life is full of rules and constraints, whereas art is wild and imaginative and arises from ideas and emotions within the artists themselves.
Step into inspiration
One of the reasons that inspirational art is so valuable is that it inspires different emotions in different people. Art can also inspire different emotions in the same person at different times, depending on their reality at that moment. Art gives us an alternate reality we can explore for inspiration whenever we need to.
Art can inspire and impact life in different ways:
- Promote healing: Art is often used in therapy to help unlock psychological barriers and inspire mental wellbeing.
- Release emotions: Refugees are often encouraged to release emotions by producing art. The visual storytelling in art is a valuable tool that inspires the release of trauma in ways that talking about the issues often fail to achieve.
- It can open doors: Producing creative art can ‘open doors’ for artists, taking them to places abroad and involving them in entrepreneurial development opportunities that they wouldn’t have access to without their art.
South African art is inspiring the world
Recently Sotherby’s London Auction launched its African Art Auctions, showing there is an increasing global focus on African art. One of the common themes that art from Africa satisfies in people is a yearning for a sense of authenticity. For many South African expats living abroad, South African culturally thematic art is a treasured memory and reminder of home.
Top current South African artists
If you are living in South Africa or abroad and would like to invest in inspiring South African artists whose work is attracting attention locally and abroad, you might like to consider:
- Kudzanai Chiurai: His work is infused with youth culture and street art
- Wangechi Mutu: Her Afro-futurist work explores gender, race and politics in Africa
- Aida Muluneh: Her painted human bodies are inspired by the African practice of body art
- Turiya Magadlela: She works with fabrics filled with cultural significance
- IO Makandal: Her work explores the role of change
- Serge Attukwei Clottey: His work comments on the effect of the material culture on Africa
- Kemang Wa Lehulere: His work explores black South African history and the role of memory
- Peju Alatise: Her work explores social and gender-related issues and women in contemporary Africa
- Patrick Bongoy: He works in rubber, a material significant to his native country, Congo
- Mongezi Ncaphayi: His art is inspired by jazz and the issues surrounding migration
If you are a South African living abroad or planning to move abroad, let FinGlobal help you take the hassle out of financial emigration. If you have any questions regarding the process of financial emigration from South Africa, please feel free to contact us for a personal, no obligation consultation at no cost to you!