Eclectica Contemporary | FNB  Johannesburg  Art  Fair

Each of the artists we have chosen utilize their own individual techniques to convey commentary on the world as they experience it. Hussein Salim, a Sudanese artist, uses motif and repetition to illustrate his understanding of spiritual, social and environmental instances – often invoking symbolism as a means of communicating cultural ritual and mythological traditions. Working largely in painting, Hussein’s works cross between abstract and figurative, often manipulating the paint through thick impasto paired with fine detailing. Mediating through identity and history, religion has played a formative role in shaping the technique and approach of imagery in Salim’s work. Influenced and inspired by calligraphy and graphic writing systems, the line work in each of his artworks is heavily layered with meaning and symbolism – often described as bringing out a lyrical quality. The work he creates speaks across borders and boundaries, it translates through languages and instincts. The narrative created in the body of work Hussein presents is one of wonder at the world and of reinforcing the importance of contemporary art of and from Africa. The works for the Joburg Art fair reflect this and connect to the mythical and narrative illustrative works of Leila Fanner while complimenting, in contrast, the stark, constructed and tactile work by Lars Fischedick.

Leila Fanner explores narrative figurative painting as well as abstract works that both draw from her surroundings and memories of her experiences growing up as a child having been born to parents from South Africa and America and living across the two spaces. Having recently returned from a trip back to the States, the work she plans to create will provide a unique insight into the various tensions and possibilities across the countries – with a focus on conversations around diaspora and identity linked to narrative. The work holds within it illustrative qualities that catalyze conversation and imagination, alluding to possibilities for our world while drawing from others. The whimsical and enchanting colours she employs in her paintings will pair well with the vivid colours in Hussein Salim’s paintings, while the deeper thematic undertones with speak to Lars Fischedick’s contructivist/formalist-inspired pieces.

Lars Fischedick is an artist with a background in architecture. As such, his highly technical and very intricate works create an interesting contrast to the more symbolic and layered approaches by the other two artists. As a German-born artist living and working in Cape Town, Lars Fischedick’s work imbues a kind of hard intensity that creates a different kind of intrigue and cause for re-looking – twisting and reconfiguring objects and forms in new ways. A major influence in Lars’s current work is projective geometry and mathematics, particularly explorations from the personal inner perspective to the geometrical infinite. Through his work, Lars gives his audience an experience of space, challenges their perceptual boundaries, and makes invisible aspects of this experience, visible.

– Clare Patrick

Leila Fanner

An abstract and figurative artist, whose work is in uenced by mid-century modern styles, abstract expressionism and spiritual folk art of the world. Born in California to a South African artist and an African American musician, She was raised in South Africa and currently works from her studio in Riebeek West.

Leila is both a figurative and an abstract painter. Her creative inspiration is interwoven with dreams and personal dream symbols. Using the natural world as her subject, she explores her relationship with the material realm from both a metaphysical and spiritual viewpoint.

After her studies at the Johannesburg National School of the Arts, she took private tuition in both graphic design and watercolour paint- ing, holding her rst exhibition ‘Faux Masters’ at the age of 23. Her work has appeared in British Vogue Gallery 2015. Her most recent exhibitions were ‘Solo Studio’s’ in the Riebeek Valley in July 2016 and ‘Flowers In Art’ exhibition at the Castle of Good Hope as well as ‘Unify’ at Aity Gallery in Franschhoek in September 2016. Leila’s art is in private collections in South Africa, Germany, France, Kenya, England and the USA.

Leila Fanner
Meeting the Spirit Guide
2018
Oil and oil pastel on canvas
120 x 160 cm

Georgia Lane

Georgia Lane first developed her resourceful and innovative approach to painting while living in Greece with limited access to resources. Her background in graphic design and marketing, as well as her love for art as she was growing up lay very firm foundations for her growth into the painter we know and love today. Having exhibited and been represented by prestigious galleries, Georgia Lane has presented solo bodies of work and been featured at the Cape Town Art Fair. Her work has been collected by international art lovers and is housed in New York, London, Chicago, Philadelphia, Sydney, Dubai, Stockholm, Cape Town and Johannesburg. She works from memory and as such, her paintings become a meditative process in which she participates with subconscious aspects striving foremost for honesty and simplicity of thought.

Hussein Salim

Born in Karim Sudan in 1966, Hussein Salim, found himself, along with other Sudanese artists and critics during the 1970s and 1980s conflict, exploring the dialogue between the importance of heritage and contemporary Sudanese art. Through his rich impasto paintings, Salim reflects this dialogue using personal symbolism of his dual African and Islamic identity, and through this coalescence his work creates a personal conversation with the viewer of the effects of a diasporic background. Here, his works allow a space for appreciation of diversity. Salim’s forms and colours combine, symbolising his own psyche and subliminal musings on topics of identity and heritage in the contemporary discourse. However, what is critical is that the shapes and forms in his work only leave just enough clues to catalyse thinking rather than explicitly demonstrate an idea.

As a contemporary African artist, Salim is faced with the weight of art history and political discourse as equally pertinent to his formation as a voice within the conversation of makers. As such, Salim gestures to the work of other painters but also to history, culture, mythology and situation. His work contemplates the ordeals of human life, returning again and again to symbols of love, time and death.

Hussein Salim
Untitled (series)
2018
Acrylic on cardboard
35 x 61 cm
x 10: SOLD

Anthony Lane

Anthony Lane is a Cape Town-based sculptor and multi-award winning designer, who skilfully marries the technical sophistication of a master draughtsman with an instinctive understanding of three-dimensional forms and mass. His sculptural projects deal primarily with contemporary abstract representations of the human form while also investigating the themes of order and chaos. Anthony has exhibited in galleries and inter- national art fairs. His work is housed in collections around the world.

Lars J. Fischedick

Lars has spent the last 25 years fascinated by 3 dimensional spaces. His exploration has been through architecture, model building, sculpture and art installations.

He was born in Germany and started his career with a focus in Contemporary Architecture, collaborating on Christo and Jean-Claude’s Wrapped Reichstag Project for Berlin. In 2002, he moved to Cape Town and in 2010 Lars decided to pursue a full time career in art. By combining his knowledge of materials with perceptual shifts from aerial to perspective, he has formed a new artistic narrative.

A major influence in Lars’s current work is projective geometry and mathematics, particularly explorations from the personal inner perspective to the geometrical infinite. Through his work, Lars gives his audience an experience of space, challenges their perceptual boundaries, and makes invisible aspects of this experience, visible.

Lars J Fischedick
Schemenhaft (Apparition)
2018
mixed media on wood
138 x 67 cm

Lars J Fischedick
Fettsenf Composition #1
2018
mixed media on wood
153 x 42 cm

Ofentse Seshabela

Born in Pretoria in 1995, Ofentse grew up between Pretoria, Johannesburg and Krugersdorp. Currently in the process of completing his visual arts degree at the University of Johannesburg, Ofentse has taken a year off from his studies to work independently from his own studio, having previously worked at Joburg’s Au- gust House. He has participated on a number of prominent group exhibitions, including the recent ‘Talking to Deaf Ears’ at the Absa Art Gallery. He is currently part of the Assemblage Studio’s ‘Emerging Artists Programme’ and will be presenting work at this year’s Turbine Art Fair in July.

Largely politically motivated, his work explores collage, painting and drawing to articulate concepts of both global and local politics. He recalls listening to his uncles discussing politics as he grew up and recognizes the importance of continuing the conversation in contemporary discourse and sees art as one way of making these conversations more accessible.