Online exhibition
Haidee Nel
Bitter-Sweet
BITTER-SWEET
The story told is that of a “Hero’s Journey”, exploring the relationship with the inner child through time and space, connecting, listening, accepting, surrendering, forgiving, thanking, challenging, holding, confronting, shadowing, appreciating, loving, failing, seeing, pushing, healing, seeking questions and answers towards awakening.
Then, for a moment, grasping the essence of the true self.
The journey of a never-ending story.
Over The Rainbow
I Long For U Installation
Brenton Blue Indispensable Series
Over The Rainbow
HAIDEE NEL
This South African artist (*1977) lives and works in Swellendam, Western Cape. Her artworks consist of a mix of wood, cement and fabric that she often processes with resin. Because of her fascination for color and texture, she creates images that swallow you up in an unprecedented story.
Her images initially resemble puppets, but soon you will realize that the figures all play their own role. They take you by the hand through their world and unknowingly connect you with the child in each of us.
Haidee Nel creates works with themes.Each one of them has a very clear philosophical deeper meaning attached to it. The story behind her artwork touches everyone. Even though she's not a renown artist yet, her work impresses lots of art critics. Keep moren than one eye on Haidee because within a matter of time you will see pop here up more often than now!
GROEIPYNE SERIES
Growing Pains is a theatrical sculptural installation where the sculptures perform tales of being human. The dance of growing up, the act of finding oneself, losing oneself and transforming to a new role. The symptoms of growing pain is inevitable. To grow brings change and change a measure of discomfort or pain. The sort of pain that makes us rebel and fear of what lies ahead. Be it physical, emotional or spiritual growing-pains, it is the condition which precedes ‘the spreading of wings and fly’. The hard work, self discipline, rebellion, resentment, headache, protest, grovel, clip, crop, separation, letting go ... the question marks, the exclamation marks, the darkness, the burnt ashes, the quiet... Then one day, a new me...a new understanding...and there, I see you with new eyes.
Growing Pains is a three dimensional ‘story picture’ endeavouring to tell a thousand words – to share ‘the tale of living’.
Row-Row
Year: 2019
Dimensions: 57 × 20 × 50 cm
Growing Pains Series 4/8
Mixed media - Oak, Jaracande wood, resin, marble dust
Treasure
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 73 × 25 × 25 cm
Growing Pains Series 3/8
Mixed media - Jaracande wood, resin, marble dust
Dubbeldoor
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 57 × 20 × 17 cm
Growing Pains Series 4/8
Mixed media - Jaracande wood, resin, marble dust
MASQUERADE SERIES
‘Urban Masquerade’ is inspired by the question: what does it means to be human? The work is an exploration of discovery about one’s identity and the many aspects that cover up the true self. I have made use of the mask as a means to understand this layering. The mask as a means to understand humanness, by trying to uncover what is illusion and what is real. My true interest has always been identity, the self, and the inner child. Along this journey of exploration towards finding the true self, it became apparent that we are made up of a myriad of visible and invisible layers of masking. I have used the mask and specific clothing styles to visually communicate that which cover or express our identity, knowingly or unknowingly, in order to perform in this masquerade called life. In the masks we wear, the innocent and sincere child within us falls asleep more and more. Life in itself becomes the Masquerade.
Hare
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 55.5 × 29 × 17 cm
Urban Masquerade Series 2/3
Mixed media - Carved Yellow Wood (dress) - Blue Gum wood (mask)
Resin, marble dust & metal White Blue Gum wood, and marble dust(plinth)
Humming Bird
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 50.5 × 26 × 16 cm
Urban Masquerade Series 4/6
Mixed media - Carved Jacaranda and Red Bluegum wood, (shawl, body mask), metal, cotton thread,
resin, marble dust, paint & metal White Blue gum, and marble dust (plinth)
Bokkie
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 72.5 × 20 × 16.5 cm
Urban Masquerade 5/6
Mixed media - Carved Jacaranda and Meranti wood, (body & mask), resin, marble dust, netting, paint & metal.
White Blue gum & marble dust (plinth)
White Lion
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 48.5 × 29.5 × 15 cm
Urban Masquerade Series 4/6
Mixed media - Carved Jacaranda wood (dress and mask), textile, resin, marble dust, paint & metal
White Blue gum, and marble dust (plinth)
INFANTRY SERIES
Infantry, as a body of work is a multidimensional depiction of the understanding of the cycle of pain. Ultimately it would be the efforts of individuals who choose to break the cycle of fear with the realization of unconditional love towards themselves and others: by taking care of and healing the inner-child, with mindfulness and responsibility. The choice is between being a warrior of love or a warrior of fear. The CHOICE will inevitably create an opposing Human Experience.
The work can be understood and interpreted on many levels, but each awareness is a step closer to finding the answers and creating a beautiful future.
Infantry - Boy
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 77 × 29 × 24 cm
Series: 10/50
Mixed media - Outfit: cast cement Limbs: resin marble dust
Amour: Coffee tins, paint brush, forks, spoons, metal, plumbing materials
Base: cement building block, resin and marble dust top
Infantry - Girl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 57 × 29 × 24 cm
Series: 32/50
Mixed media - Dress: cast cement Limbs: resin marble dust
Amour: coffee tins, cookie cutters, goldilocks, steel wool, paintbrushes
Base: cement building block, resin and marble dust top
Infantry - Boy
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 77 × 29 × 24 cm
Series: 11/50
Mixed media - Outfit: cast cement Limbs: resin marble dust
Amour: Coffee tins, paint brush, forks, spoons, metal, plumbing materials
Base: cement building block, resin and marble dust top
Infantry - Girl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 57 × 29 × 24 cm
Series: 33/50
Mixed media - Dress: cast cement Limbs: resin marble dust
Amour: coffee tins, cookie cutters, goldilocks, steel wool, paintbrushes
Base: cement building block, resin and marble dust top
Infantry - Boy
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 77 × 29 × 24 cm
Series: 12/50
Mixed media - Outfit: cast cement Limbs: resin marble dust
Amour: Coffee tins, paint brush, forks, spoons, metal, plumbing materials
Base: cement building block, resin and marble dust top
Infantry - Girl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 57 × 29 × 24 cm
Series: 34/50
Mixed media - Dress: cast cement Limbs: resin marble dust
Amour: coffee tins, cookie cutters, goldilocks, steel wool, paintbrushes
Base: cement building block, resin and marble dust top
INDISPENSABLE SERIES
In creating these artworks awareness shifts to the anxious rate at which our animal kingdom is racing towards extinction. Distressing things like plastics in the oceans, poaching, climate change, chemicals and human population growth, are endangering our wildlife.
The multicolored busts are reference to our culture of waste; the figures depict human forms melting into an ocean of polychromatic inorganic mulch. The Materials used in these artworks are created from plastics and resins, poured into the mould. The outcomes of the sculptures are always unique. It is exciting to de-mould each piece, much like opening a lucky packet, you never know what you are going to get.
The ‘animal’ carved in wood becomes a 'headrest', a decomposable material and a reference to the biodegradable properties of Nature. A reminder that everything in nature is perishable and in a constant process of change. “All structures are unstable.”
Hammerhead Shark
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 23 × 28 × 14 cm
Indispensable Series 2/10
Mixed media - Bust: Recycled materials, resin, marble dust - Headpiece: Carved Jacaranda wood
Podium: Red Bluegum wood, recycled materials, resin, marble dust
Tortoise
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 59 × 15 × 15 cm
Indispensable Series 4/10
Mixed media - Bust: Recycled materials, resin, marble dust - Headpiece: Carved Jacaranda wood
Podium: Red Bluegum wood, recycled materials, resin, marble dust.
Riverine Rabbit
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 59 × 15 × 15 cm
Indispensable Series 1/10
Mixed media - Bust: Recycled materials, resin, marble dust - Headpiece: Carved Jacaranda wood
Podium: Red Bluegum wood, recycled materials, resin, marble dust.
Brenton Blue
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 59 × 15 × 15 cm
Indispensable Series 4/10
Mixed media - Bust: Recycled materials, resin, marble dust - Headpiece: Carved Jacaranda wood
Podium: Red Bluegum wood, recycled materials, resin, marble dust
Nautilus
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 59 × 15 × 15 cm
Indispensable Series 3/10
Mixed media - Bust: Recycled materials, resin, marble dust - Headpiece: Carved Jacaranda wood
Podium: Red Bluegum wood, recycled materials, resin, marble dust.
Bechstein Bat
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 59 × 15 × 15 cm
Indispensable Series 4/10
Mixed media: Bust: Recycled materials, resin, marble dust Headpiece: Carved Jacaranda wood
Podium: Red Bluegum wood, recycled materials, resin, marble dust
SHIMMER & SHRINE
Ankole
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 69 × 20 × 62 cm
Shimmer & Shrine Series 2/8
Mixed media - Figure: Resin, marble dust - Mask: Resin, marble dust, Rhinestones Dress: Carved Jacaranda wood - Podium: Jacaranda wood, marble dust
Indlovu
Year: 2020
Dimensions: app. 69 × 20 × 33 cm
Shimmer & Shrine Series 2/8
Mixed media - Figure: Resin, marble dust - Mask: Resin, marble dust, Rhinestones Dress: Carved Jacaranda wood - Podium: Jacaranda wood, marble dust