The mentor
Mixed media
123 cm x 94 cm
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
This artwork is inspired by my personal journey of seeking a mentor as a young man who grew up without a father. In my years of maturation, I have had to do a lot of unlearning, particularly when it comes to role models, because I have read and watched videos of the wise quotes and philosophy from different philosophers and successful men. I realised that these sound just like the things that the elders/seniors in my community would try to teach us growing up, but because they didn’t look and sound like the men I was taught to look up to at school, when they spoke, I disregarded them. This has subconsciously affected my ability to believe that excellence can come from someone like me, because even though I am formally educated and I am my own person, in some ways, I am still a product of my community. I look and sound just like them. I am them and they are me.
The singing man bearing a scar on his upper lip represents the mentor. The man who has taken a beating from life so that a young man like me does not have to. The man who sings songs of wisdom that map the path ahead, helping us navigate life as we shall become mentors ourselves. The man who teaches the importance of forgiving and learning from our fathers, as we shall become fathers ourselves.