Elephant Love Letters on display in August
Wesley Grobler from Brackenhurst has had the honour of being invited to do his first solo exhibition at Art of Main on August 1 showcasiing his 12 elephant love letter paintings.
ALBERTON- Wesley Grobler, from Brackenhurst, has been invited to do his first solo exhibition at Art of Main on August 1. This young man, on his way to becoming a chartered accountant (CA) at the end of 2015, rediscovered his passion for painting last year after a devastating event in his life.
“I immersed myself in my art and poured my heart and soul into it. I had to go through this, it is part of my journey in creating myself, growing to become who I am meant to be.” says Wesa, as he is known. Everything he paints are pictures he sees in his mind’s eye and he is slowly learning not to be scared of expressing himself in a real and original manner.
“You have to believe in yourself as an artist, and not worry about what the critics would say. Don’t paint to please others. My favourite top 10 artist are all African. This is where I live, this is what I know. We have so much talent in South Africa and they inspire me to be real.”
Wesley did art at school and says he remembers his dad asking the primary school art teacher why Wesley wasn’t painting the pictures he was supposed to. “The teacher said to my dad: ‘he is an artist, he does his own thing’.” Some of his paintings are at the Stop Sign Art Gallery in Melville and now, Art on Main Art Gallery has asked him to host his first solo exhibition starting on August 1, which will showcase his 12 elephants.
Wesley was inspired to paint 12 Elephant Love Letters, as he calls them, after he watched his grandfather dying four years ago and the unfailing commitment his grandmother displayed in taking care of his granddad. He then discovered that elephants mourn their dead and literally cry over dying members of the herd. From this experience grew the 12 Elephants Love Letter paintings.
The Arts on Main Art Gallery will be welcoming this young man into the African art community on August 1. This is indeed a momentous occasion for the ex-Alberton Hoërskool learner.
