What Artists Like #2

Storytelling painter Errol Theunissen joins us as Guest Curator, whose work is infused with colour and joy. Read on to see which works he picked and why, plus a few highlights from my interview with him.

NW – You have such a wonderful approach to composition and perspective. It’s like you’re looking down at your subjects from the sky. How do you make your work?

ET – My mind is a bit of a manic processor of the visual world I encounter. I am constantly looking around me for little moments that catch my eye that may translate to a painting or drawing. It can be in my home, walking down the street or at the beach. I capture the moment in my head almost like a photo. Once I have access to paper or my many little drawing pads I will do a rough sketch, noting the movement, colours, and all the little details I remember. However, if I have seen something and the thought of painting it really excites me, the minute I get home it goes straight to canvas.  I also use photos that I have taken as the source for some of my work. Memories of home mean a lot to me as does my interesting family history so some of my work comes directly from these memories or stories I have been told or documents I have about my parents’ past.

NW – I read that you used to be a writer before you became a painter. It’s no surprise, especially considering the strong narrative element of your work. How has that experience impacted the way you paint?

ET – I think my love of storytelling has supported and possibly enhanced my painting. Stories are often about connections, between people or people and animals. My paintings do tell a story, they are a visual narrative which draws the viewer in to the moment and gets them speculating about what happened before and after. I love to listen to viewers talking about my work at shows and hearing the different interpretations of the narrative.

NW – Congratulations on having your work selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. You work seems to sit well in different spaces. What are your influences and where do you align yourself as an artist?

ET – I am influenced and align myself with several artists and movements. I have always loved the work of Jean Michel Basquiat – it didn’t really fall into a single or particular existing movement, and he drew inspiration from graffiti, street culture and neo expressionism to paint in his own style. I too draw inspiration from a number of movements, street, naïve, neo expressionism to name a few. I am inspired by the work of Noah Davis, Jacob Lawrence and Joan Eardley, all coming from different times and places but all painting people in everyday situations so beautifully. I think it is these multiple influences that allow my work to sit in such varied spaces. I never imagined I would be able to show work in the Royal Academy and a week later show my work in a cutting edge gallery such as BSMT specialising  in incredible Street Art. I am so grateful for this.

NW – You mention that you use colour and sometimes subject as a way of connecting to your memories of Africa. What is your relationship with Africa and how do keep that feeling fresh whilst living in England?

ET –  I was born and raised in Zimbabwe so immigrating to the UK in 2002 was a major change in my life. I missed Zimbabwe in many ways, but I have kept links by still listening to Zimbabwean music, cooking Zimbabwean food, teaching my boys about the history and culture of the country. All my boys are avid fans of Mbira (finger Piano) music which is very important in Zimbabwean Shona culture and also listen to contemporary Zimbabwean Music. My art also keeps these links. My palette is often made up of Colours that remind me of home; the red soil, the Flora, traditional Zimbabwean decorative patterns such as the chevrons and Ndoro symbols that I place on various objects in my works.

NW – I was really surprised by the scale of your work. They feel like such intimate little paintings with lots of texture and detail, but many of them are actually quite large. How do you hold on to a sense of intimacy and spontaneity on such a big surface?

ET – I didn’t used to paint very large paintings, mainly due to the fact that my studio (corner of the Kitchen) didn’t accommodate large canvases. My youngest son is autistic and has some extremely complex behaviours which means I need to be close by. I adapted our kitchen to accommodate a much larger easel and have been able to upscale my work. I basically carried the same approach and idea as my smaller paintings and my ink and oil pastel drawings, the vivid colours, the connections between the characters, the little details and the sense of fun, just bigger.

Fascinating! Errol has nominated award-winning artist Tia-Taylor Berry as the next Artist Curator, so look out for that. Read on to see his selection. Enjoy! Nicola Wiltshire

WHAT ARTISTS LIKE #2

“I am fascinated by Tia’s work. The fact that she draws the texture or workings of the mind, represented by the wonderful, interconnected shapes and lines and the incredible colour palette is so intriguing. Her works have an element of the unknown, a mystery or a blueprint for something magical, secret and otherworldly. I was lucky enough to see her work and speak with her in real life at an exhibition we were both participating in in Newcastle and was really struck by her work. The work by Tia I have chosen is Pencil Drawing 011 which I feel captures all these elements that make her work so uniquely beautiful.” – ET

“Alanna’s work really speaks to me. We both paint the daily, very normal everyday settings; the bus, the kitchen, the beach. Her works capture a moment that brings the viewer in and leaves them wondering what brought the characters together, what are they talking about, where is the lady on the bus going? I love her use of colour and light which she uses so successfully to create the pensive, almost broody figures in some of her work. Love it!” – ET

“I love the playful nature of Freya’s work. I have selected her piece Let Them Eat Cake. Her figures are so strong, and their facial expressions are brilliant. There is an in-your-face defiance and strength in the two women in the painting. I love her use of dogs in her paintings too.” – ET

View all Errol’s work