"Few people have the good fortune to be born in a desert. I was." - Eve Palmer
As a little girl, my dad would invite me for a drive in the veld -I would be shown which plants the animals prefer because they taste sweet.
I would help collect sheep on horseback to bring in for shearing - I would hear that we need rain.
I would play in the river with my sister and make vases out of clay to decorate our boma with beautiful grasses.
This is my story that is deeply entangled with the Karoo.
But the Karoo is over 280 million years old. The more I learn, the more curious I become. My creative practice becomes a way for me to make sense of time, matter and identity. What I discover is translated into a visual narrative that results in modern artefacts from this ancient place.
It is the materials and the stories that are home to me and that I am a part of. It seems natural that a child from the Karoo creates for and from it.
Story
My creative practice has become a manifestation of my nature-culture relationship, which has led me to wonder how I can use my practice to design for and into a more sustainable and harmonious future. The making of my art jewellery pieces has proven that conscious design emerges from the process, and the collaboration between myself and the material world.
Each piece I create is a reflection of my journey and connection with the materials I choose. I find myself captivated by the natural properties, textures, and patterns inherent in these elements, and I strive to enhance and highlight their unique qualities. Through this intimate exploration, my jewellery transforms into a modern artefact, telling the story of the landscape that inspires me. By incorporating materials directly found in the area, I aim to weave a visual narrative that is connected to the body, extending a heartfelt homage to the beauty of the environment I cherish.
Situated between the walls of the Wellwood sheep Kraal is a building that was originally the farm dairy for Dexter cattle. It later became home to the remarkable Rubidge Fossil Collection. This space has now been reimagined into a studio and gallery that celebrates the evolution of the area.
Feel free to follow our story
