Give and take, 2026
Mixed media
183 cm x 53 cm x 90 cm
Artist’s Statement
The work directly addresses how South African politics affect our day-to-day quality of life. It chooses not to run away from the true version of the reality faced by many citizens in so far as service delivery is concerned. It firmly expresses the contrast that exists between us and those who lead us. The work highlights how political it is that millions of people and thousands of households remain entirely without electricity or continue to get power outages. This is despite South Africa having been declared to have bypassed the national load shedding and despite us being three decades into democracy. Load shedding continues to exist, taking the form of other power outages, such as the so-called load reduction.
Give and take is largely made from melted 20mm PVC conduit modelled onto welded steel. Just as the PVC conduit’s function is to protect and organise electrical wiring into buildings, part of the functions of political leaders is to serve and protect the rights and dignity of the people. The figure’s both hands contain two sources of light, a candle and a bulb. The candle is given to the community offering little light while the bulb is reserved to ensure that the leader’s own backyard remains lit.
The leadership of this country continues to thrive at the expense of the poor people. Many communities still lack basic services such as running water, waste removal, healthcare facilities, potholes etc. but we, however, continue to vote and pay taxes.
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