In my work I explore how our beliefs shape our societies — how do we see and treat each other, and with what consequences? By combining conceptual art with fine art, I utilize the tension that exists between these art forms to mirror the tension between individuals and society.
I am moved to express these ideas because of my experiences growing up in Apartheid South Africa, which left a deep scar on my soul. There is no understanding or justifying the inhumanity of white rule that dominated the country from its colonial past through the apartheid regime. And it torments me that these kinds of institutionalized forms of discrimination, oppression, and violence continue to this day all over the world. Through my art pieces — such as the Bureau of Bureaucracy, Deconstructing Colonialism, Apart-Hate: A People Divider, and Belabeled — I examine why and how such systems arise and persist.
Each of my pieces take a number of years to complete. The idea comes first. This is followed by extensive research during which I try to figure out what form would best express the idea. Then comes a long interactive and iterative process of imagining and manifesting the idea into a concrete form. I use whatever tools I can lay my hands on — be it sketches, drawings, virtual models, and physical prototypes. Then comes the process of actually constructing the piece.
I am currently working on two pieces. The first — BlackBox — examines how different perspectives produce different ways of understanding our world. The second — Elegy for Humanity — examines the role of ego in society and the suffering it generates through personal and institutional greed, ignorance, and intolerance.
I strive to create complex and engaging work that involves multiple layers, multiple perspectives and multiple interpretations. The goal of my art is to build pieces that encourage important conversations and that have the depth and grace to endure over time.
RESUME
Museums
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA (Belabeled, Permanent Collection)
Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, NY (Apart-Hate: A People Divider, Permanent Collection)
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, Washington D.C. (Bureau of Bureaucracy, Permanent Collection)
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Art, Washington D.C. (Sketchbooks: Bureau of Bureaucracy)
Selected Exhibitions |
|
| 2019 | Connections: Presentation of the Permanent Collection at the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. |
| 2016 | Inspiration: Exhibition at Brickbottom Art Gallery, Somerville, MA |
| 2014 | Re: Collection: Exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, NY |
| 2014 | IN(sight)BOUND: Sketchbooks of the Creative Process exhibition at Brickbottom Art Gallery, Somerville, MA |
| 2013-2014 | Made in Massachusetts: Studio Furniture of the Bay State Exhibition at the Fuller Musuem, Brockton, MA |
| 2012 | Alumni Exhibition: The North Bennet Street School, Boston, MA |
| 2010-2011 | The Global Africa Project: Exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, NY |
| 2004 | Right at Home: American Studio Furniture Exhibition at the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. |
| 1997 | Selected Works: Exhibition at the Stratton Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. |
| 1991 | Artisans of the 90s: Exhibition at the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society, Lexington, MA. |
Honors and Awards |
|
| 2013 | Featured Artist Lecture, Arts and Craft Society, Lexington MA |
| 2007 | Distinguished Artist Lecture, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. |
| 2004 | Distinguished Artist Lecture, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. |
| 2003 | Featured Artist Lecture, Arts and Craft Society, Lexington MA |
| 1998 | Grant for Work-in-Progress, Gruss Remainder Trust. |
| 1990 | Honorable Mention, International Cities Design Competition, Milwaukee, WI. |
| 1989 | Honorable Mention, The Peace Garden Project, Washington, DC [with J. Hirsty]. |
| 1984 | Award [First Stage], Stawon International Housing Competition, Amsterdam, Holland. |
Work In Progress |
| BlackBox |
|
Elegy for Humanity |
Education |
|
| 1982 | Bachelor of Architecture, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. |
| 1985 | Clay Sculpture, Art Students League of New York, New York, NY. |
| 1992 | Diploma in Furniture and Cabinetmaking, North Bennet Street School, Boston, MA. |
| 1998 | French Polishing Program, Barstow & Waterhouse, Manchester, United Kingdom. |
| 2000 | Life Drawing, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA. |
| 2006 | Life Drawing, Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford, United Kingdom. |
In my work I explore how our beliefs shape our societies — how do we see and treat each other, and with what consequences? By combining conceptual art with fine art, I utilize the tension that exists between these art forms to mirror the tension between individuals and society.
I am moved to express these ideas because of my experiences growing up in Apartheid South Africa, which left a deep scar on my soul. There is no understanding or justifying the inhumanity of white rule that dominated the country from its colonial past through the apartheid regime. And it torments me that these kinds of institutionalized forms of discrimination, oppression, and violence continue to this day all over the world. Through my art pieces — such as the Bureau of Bureaucracy, Deconstructing Colonialism, Apart-Hate: A People Divider, and Belabeled — I examine why and how such systems arise and persist.
Each of my pieces take a number of years to complete. The idea comes first. This is followed by extensive research during which I try to figure out what form would best express the idea. Then comes a long interactive and iterative process of imagining and manifesting the idea into a concrete form. I use whatever tools I can lay my hands on — be it sketches, drawings, virtual models, and physical prototypes. Then comes the process of actually constructing the piece.
I am currently working on two pieces. The first — BlackBox — examines how different perspectives produce different ways of understanding our world. The second — Elegy for Humanity — examines the role of ego in society and the suffering it generates through personal and institutional greed, ignorance, and intolerance.
I strive to create complex and engaging work that involves multiple layers, multiple perspectives and multiple interpretations. The goal of my art is to build pieces that encourage important conversations and that have the depth and grace to endure over time.
RESUME
Museums
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA (Belabeled, Permanent Collection)
Museum of Arts and Design
New York City, NY (Apart-Hate: A People Divider, Permanent Collection)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Renwick Gallery, Washington D.C. (Bureau of Bureaucracy, Permanent Collection)
Smithsonian Institution
Archives of American Art, Washington D.C. (Sketchbooks: Bureau of Bureaucracy)
Selected Exhibitions |
|
| 2019 | Connections: Presentation of the Permanent Collection at the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. |
| 2016 | Inspiration: Exhibition at Brickbottom Art Gallery, Somerville, MA |
| 2014 | Re: Collection: Exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, NY |
| 2014 | IN(sight)BOUND: Sketchbooks of the Creative Process Exhibition at Brickbottom Art Gallery, Somerville, MA |
| 2013-2014 | Made in Massachusetts: Studio Furniture of the Bay State Exhibition at the Fuller Musuem, Brockton, MA |
| 2012 | Alumni Exhibition: The North Bennet Street School, Boston, MA |
| 2010-2011 | The Global Africa Project: Exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, NY |
| 2004 | Right at Home: American Studio Furniture Exhibition at the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. |
| 1997 | Selected Works: Exhibition at the Stratton Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. |
| 1991 | Artisans of the 90s: Exhibition at the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society, Lexington, MA. |
Honors and Awards |
|
| 2013 | Featured Artist Lecture, Arts and Craft Society, Lexington MA |
| 2007 | Distinguished Artist Lecture, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. |
| 2004 | Distinguished Artist Lecture, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. |
| 2003 | Featured Artist Lecture, Arts and Craft Society, Lexington MA |
| 1998 | Grant for Work-in-Progress, Gruss Remainder Trust. |
| 1990 | Honorable Mention, International Cities Design Competition, Milwaukee, WI. |
| 1989 | Honorable Mention, The Peace Garden Project, Washington, DC [with J. Hirsty]. |
| 1984 | Award [First Stage], Stawon International Housing Competition, Amsterdam, Holland. |
Work In Progress |
| BlackBox |
| Elegy for Humanity |
Education |
|
| 1982 | Bachelor of Architecture, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. |
| 1985 | Clay Sculpture, Art Students League of New York, New York, NY. |
| 1992 | Diploma in Furniture and Cabinetmaking, North Bennet Street School, Boston, MA. |
| 1998 | French Polishing Program, Barstow & Waterhouse, Manchester, United Kingdom. |
| 2000 | Life Drawing, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA. |
| 2006 | Life Drawing, Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford, United Kingdom. |
In my work I explore how our beliefs shape our societies — how do we see and treat each other, and with what consequences? By combining conceptual art with fine art, I utilize the tension that exists between these art forms to mirror the tension between individuals and society.
I am moved to express these ideas because of my experiences growing up in Apartheid South Africa, which left a deep scar on my soul. There is no understanding or justifying the inhumanity of white rule that dominated the country from its colonial past through the apartheid regime. And it torments me that these kinds of institutionalized forms of discrimination, oppression, and violence continue to this day all over the world. Through my art pieces — such as the Bureau of Bureaucracy, Deconstructing Colonialism, Apart-Hate: A People Divider, and Belabeled — I examine why and how such systems arise and persist.
Each of my pieces take a number of years to complete. The idea comes first. This is followed by extensive research during which I try to figure out what form would best express the idea. Then comes a long interactive and iterative process of imagining and manifesting the idea into a concrete form. I use whatever tools I can lay my hands on — be it sketches, drawings, virtual models, and physical prototypes. Then comes the process of actually constructing the piece.
I am currently working on two pieces. The first — BlackBox — examines how different perspectives produce different ways of understanding our world. The second — Elegy for Humanity — examines the role of ego in society and the suffering it generates through personal and institutional greed, ignorance, and intolerance.
I strive to create complex and engaging work that involves multiple layers, multiple perspectives and multiple interpretations. The goal of my art is to build pieces that encourage important conversations and that have the depth and grace to endure over time.
RESUME
Museums
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA (Belabeled, Permanent Collection)
Museum of Arts and Design
New York City, NY
(Apart-Hate: A People Divider, Permanent Collection)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Renwick Gallery, Washington D.C.
(Bureau of Bureaucracy, Permanent Collection)
Smithsonian Institution
Archives of American Art, Washington D.C.
(Sketchbooks: Bureau of Bureaucracy)
Selected Exhibitions |
|
| 2019 | Connections: Presentation of the Permanent Collection at the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. |
| 2016 | Inspiration: Exhibition at Brickbottom Art Gallery, Somerville, MA |
| 2014 | Re: Collection: Exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, NY |
| 2014 | IN(sight)BOUND: Sketchbooks of the Creative Process Exhibition at Brickbottom Art Gallery, Somerville, MA |
| 2013-2014 | Made in Massachusetts: Studio Furniture of the Bay State Exhibition at the Fuller Musuem, Brockton, MA |
| 2012 | Alumni Exhibition: The North Bennet Street School, Boston, MA |
| 2010-2011 | The Global Africa Project: Exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, NY |
| 2004 | Right at Home: American Studio Furniture Exhibition at the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. |
| 1997 | Selected Works: Exhibition at the Stratton Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. |
| 1991 | Artisans of the 90s: Exhibition at the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society, Lexington, MA. |
Honors and Awards |
|
| 2013 | Featured Artist Lecture, Arts and Craft Society, Lexington MA |
| 2007 | Distinguished Artist Lecture, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. |
| 2004 | Distinguished Artist Lecture, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. |
| 2003 | Featured Artist Lecture, Arts and Craft Society, Lexington MA |
| 1998 | Grant for Work-in-Progress, Gruss Remainder Trust. |
| 1990 | Honorable Mention, International Cities Design Competition, Milwaukee, WI. |
| 1989 | Honorable Mention, The Peace Garden Project, Washington, DC [with J. Hirsty]. |
| 1984 | Award [First Stage], Stawon International Housing Competition, Amsterdam, Holland. |
Work In Progress |
| Black Box |
| Elegy for Humanity |
Education |
|
| 1982 | Bachelor of Architecture, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. |
| 1985 | Clay Sculpture, Art Students League of New York, New York, NY. |
| 1992 | Diploma in Furniture and Cabinetmaking, North Bennet Street School, Boston, MA. |
| 1998 | French Polishing Program, Barstow & Waterhouse, Manchester, United Kingdom. |
| 2000 | Life Drawing, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA. |
| 2006 | Life Drawing, Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford, United Kingdom. |