Stories of a South African Childhood in Sketches and Sculptures

The sculptures and sketches in Note to Self, Claudette Schreuders's latest solo exhibit, feature plain-looking people doing plain-looking things. There are some celebrity guest stars, like Nelson Mandela or Bonnie “Prince” Billy,” but most of the stories she tells are deeply ordinary. It’s exactly this that makes them so effective. Whether she’s depicting identically-dressed rivals who, despite their enmity, stand passively side by side, or herself, sketching and clad in a work apron, she’s a master at representing people who have far more going on in their heads than they’re willing to show on their faces.

The South African artist draws on images from childhood in much of her work—some of her subjects are members of her family. Her work looks as though it might have sprung from the mind of a child who's unquestioningly accepting of the world around her and yet unconsciously sees it a bit differently than adults do. The sort of details that kids don't care to note, like whether someone's in their thirties or forties, tend to be absent from her spare sculptures. "There are a few sculptures that are based on specific old [family] photos," Schreuders tells The Creators Project.

"The physical quality of Claudette’s work drew me in, and upon further reflection, I was taken with the layers and depth of meaning embedded in each piece," writes Jack Shainman. "I have always admired how Claudette’s work is often grounded in the personal, but strikes a careful and difficult to achieve balance of a universal recognition with an engaging intimacy."

Note to Self, installation view

Note to Self Runs at the the Jack Shaman Gallery until March 12. For more information, click here.

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