Features

The Restless Debt Of Third World Beauty exhibit where you did a video alongside a series of large scale works in townships and typical South African environments, is probably a highlight for me as far as your work goes. You paint in some pretty, shall we say 'risky' areas. Do you ever feel in danger? Are people generally happy to have you there?

That video went alongside a series of panoramic images where my characters were in specifically South African environments... I’ve painted many areas in South Africa, rich, poor, suburban, ghetto, white, black , colored - whatever... personally I think we need to cross these barriers of race and class and really start changing things within our own lives - Cape Town specifically is so stuck in the geographical separations that apartheid enforced that it’s very difficult for these changes to take place... so the aim of the video was to look at some of the nuances of the areas, the textures and the people and the energies... and bring that across... one of the things with painting on the streets is the experience of it.. what you learn about your country and its people and its class issues... so the videos are a good way of exploring some of these feelings and allowing people to see things in a different perspective for a short while... something like that.

Tell me about the video you just did with Rowan Pybus and Inge Beckmann, I found it to be beautifully sad yet so full of Hope...

Epitaph was an interesting one... we approached it in a different manner to wanted to find a relation with the music, the lyrics and the spaces I was painting in. So Inge worked with the first two videos. From the start designing her song to fit the idea that I had... it was a real collaboration between the artist, the film maker and the musician and I think the outcome of the video is totally different to what any of us initially had in mind... but I like the fact that is does explore spaces and buildings that are lost and discarded and contain a forgotten type of magic.

I've seen alot of your stuff on canvas as well. How often do you get indoors and spend time with your own thoughts in the studio?

I'm not actually working on canvas at all anymore. I discovered the medium of oil on wood and I'm completely in love with it... I spent most of my time in the studio and in the next few years I am going to be totally absorbed in that... I still paint on the streets and love to explore spaces for painting in South Africa and when I'm travelling but my studio is my cave, my womb, my home.

Where does the inspiration for your characters come from?

My bleeding heart.

How important is music to you when you're painting?

Music is completely vital to me. I can hardly work without it... I get lost in songs and sounds and lyrics... often I find certain songs that fit the mood of what I'm working on and play them over and over and over while I'm working on that specific artwork... it helps create the atmosphere and allows my mind and heart to expand into the feeling more.. 

What kind of music is currently on your favourites list?

Lots of different styles... things like The Sisters of Mercy, Johnny Cash, Stereo Total, Fever Ray, The Organ, The Tape, Manmunley and the Lee Lewis Harlots, Sage Francis, Wu-Tang Clan, Ratatat, Typical Cats, Black Bear, TV On The Radio, Kimya Dawson, Frank Black, Herman Dune, Bad Religion, Beirut, Calexico, Black Rabbit, New Young Pony Club, Le Tigre... are all loaded at the moment.

I love your writing, it's very peotic, tell us about why you wrote Hold Fast...

It was a moment I felt that... life is sometimes like a huge wave, pulling you in many directions... very overwhelming and magnificent.... I was travelling through Brussels and just came from an epic adventure in Germany and my mind was spinning and I felt that... I needed that... to hold fast.. in life sometimes we have to do this...

One of my favourite quotes of yours is 'street art is not just a trendy fix... it’s an expression of one’s environment and experiences... it’s not about fame and fashion... it’s about communication... ‘ It's exactly what I love about this form of art, is that it communicates. Why do you think that is?

I don't think any definition will suffice... each person owns their own definition of their own art form and ideologies surrounding it... personally I would not like to box things... people want to categorize and define things into small bite size chunks that can then be discussed, sold and marketed... personally I don't want to work that way ... I'm totally changeable and my ideas and philosophies can change as I learn and change... and I like it that way... words can be like cages, limiting things and ideas with static concepts.

What is it that makes you proud to be South African? Could you live anywhere else?

I'm in no way patriotic. I believe we are all citizens of the Earth and in essence should be able to reside where ever we please. I am however effected and torn by South Africa... it’s shown me painful truths and harsh realities and for that I am grateful.... I also think there is some really strong energy which I get very inspired by... a way people struggle creates an appreciation for life even though you would not think so looking at the crime statistics... there are many contradictions in our society and in that one finds ideas and motivations for ones work... in Europe or the first world you just don't have that as much... you feel when you go there that everything works, everything is so much easier... but yet there is something lacking... I like the way South Africa gets into my blood and makes my heart sore and fills me with life.

For more on Faith 47 visit her website. You can also follow Faith 47 here on Twitter.