Renowned Lowveld artist creates painting in honour of medical workers

While most South Africans turn this lockdown into family bonding time, healthcare workers stand at the forefront of Covid-19 response.

“The pandemic reminds us of the everyday heroes who live among us: our healthcare workers,” said renowned Lowveld artist Ilona Petzer, who recently paid tribute to these workers in a beautiful art piece. “Despite the challenges and stresses that come their way, they put themselves and their families at risk to keep us safe – all while we remain within the safety of our own home. That is why I created this painting to pay tribute,” Petzer said, adding that she has friends in that profession. “Their family should be their main priority. Instead, we are,” she said.

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The painting of an unknown woman wearing a surgical mask is, according to Petzer, more than just that. “It is also a symbol of the bearer whose identity is hidden. Now, at home, our masks are coming off and the real us is revealed. Once the lockdown is over, are we going to put the masks back on, or leave them off?” she asked.

 

In this time of Passover we can rest in the fact that we are loved and do not have to hide ourselves behind masks before the Lord.”

 

Petzer has lived here for almost 54 years and attended Laerskool Bergland and Hoërskool Nelspruit. She has been creating works of art for over 20 years and said her passion has become her job. Her successful career as an artist has brought many opportunities to travel the world, moving from one exhibition to the next. “These experiences have such an impact on your life. It changes how you look at art and at life. It broadens your frame of reference and what you appreciate and what you don’t, what you see and what you don’t. Most of all, you realise that much of that with which we busy ourselves and worry over is actually nonsense.”

She now aims to the sell the painting and use the money to buy surgical masks for donation. She can be contacted on 082-893-6718.

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