ANJA PIENAAR (b 1990 - )

The art of Anja Pienaar is embodied in her world of people, music and animals.  At the age of 11 years Anja, with her three brothers left school to start with home school. The approach in this family is that each child had to show  where they fit in perfectly in life with their talents. Why train a fish to fly or a rabbit to  to swim if it is not their talent or interest for that matter.This is the way that her family looks at life. One day, during a math lecture, it ended up in such a co motion that it came to a forced end. Anja  grabbed a piece of paper, and with a few strokes with her charcoal all involved were convinced where her future lies.

Anja did several workshops under the guidance of Estelle McLrath. Estelle has a unique approach to make her students aware on how to observe. At the age of 13 Anja attended a practical lecture under Estelle where they had to sketch Melrose House on site.  (This sketch is on display). When Estelle moved to Mosselbay, Anja had been invited by her for a week long practical exposure  to her observational approach. Gradually her observations moved to a deeper sense of observing emotions and capturing it in her work  -  across the spectrum of humor, to the deepest expression of emotion, which is impossible to capture in words . Her works lend them to easy conversation and thought, as the onlookers are able to associate themself easily with the characters.  Her work has a sense of robust  tenderness. It elicits a smile or an outburst of laughter, it captures elements of life - the gossipers, ecstatic dancers, people who socialize with each other; the fat people; old people matured by years with expression of experience on their faces; life - trapped in a facial expression. She was so seized by the story of Naomi and Ruth, that it inspired her to capture the affection (love, liking, fondness, warmth, friendliness, care) between the two minds. The titles of her works boost into the deeper truth of her works' emotion.

Music plays an important role in her family, and it continually reflects in her work. The animals in her house, dogs and cats, are seen as an extension of the family. She approaches animals in her art with the same compassion as creatures with personalities and emotion.

She has specific admiration for the work of Toulouse Latrec, Modigliani, Picasso, and nearer to ground in South Africa, Irma Stern, Maggie Loubser, Claerhout and Pieter vd Westhuizen but still following her own heart and style.

ANJA PIENAAR (geb.1990   )

Binne haar wêreld van mense, musiek en diere word die kuns van Anja Pienaar vergestalt.

Op 11 jarige ouderdom is Anja, saam met haar drie broers uit die skool, om deur hulle ouers tuis geskool te word.  Die benadering in die gesin is dat elke kind self moes wys waar sy of haar inpasplek in die lewe is. Dit het geen doel om ʼn vis te leer vlieg of ʼn haas te leer swem nie.  Elkeen moet word, wat hy die beste kan doen, en van staanspoor af daarmee besig wees.  Tydens  ʼn wiskundeles het die vonke so gespat dat dit tot ʼn einde gedwing was.  Anja het ʼn papier gegryp.    ʼn Paar hale van haar houtskool het almal daarvan oortuig waar haar toekoms lê.

Sy doen verskeie werkswinkels onder die leiding van Estelle McLrath, wat met haar unieke onderrigwyse haar student leer hoe om waar te neem. Op 13jarige ouderdom het Estelle haar studente Melrosehuis toe geneem, om daar te skets. Ná  aanleiding van die talent wat Anja ge-openbaar het,  is sy op Estelle se uitnodiging Mosselbaai toe vir ʼn weeklange blootstelling aan Estelle se benadering.

Dit het mettertyd by Anja begin ontwikkel dat daar ʼn dieper waarnemingsvlak is – dit is om emosionele waarhede raak te vat in haar kuns – oor die spektrum van humor, tot die diepste uitdrukking van emosie, wat onmoontlik in woorde uitgedruk kan word. Haar werke leen hulle maklik tot gesprek en nadenke omdat mense hulleself vereenselwig met die emosies. Dit wek deernis, ontlok ʼn glimlag of ʼn skaterlag,  en vat die elemente van die die lewe raak: die skinderbekke, die ekstatiese dansers, mense wat met mekaar kuier, die vet mense, die ou mense, die beleënheid van lewenservaring, vasgevang in ʼn gesigsuitdrukking – uitbeeldings van die lewe.  Sy was so aangegryp deur die verhaal van Naomi en Rut, dat dit haar geinspireer het om die emosie tussen hulle te verbeeld. Die titels van haar werke help die waarnemer in die dieper inkyk van die emosie.

Musiek speel  ʼn belangrike rol in haar gesin, en dit weerspieel  deurgans in haar werk en word  in allerande fasette uitgebeeld.  Mens voel die ritme van dans, instrumente en aanverwante in haar werk.

Die diere in haar huis, honde en katte, is ʼn uitbreiding van die familie, en daar word met hulle soos mense gepraat. Diere word met dieselfde deernis as emosionele wesens uitgebeeld.

Sy het ʼn besonderse affiniteit vir die werk van Toulouse Latrec, Modigliani, Picasso, en plaaslik, Irma Stern, Maggie Loubser, Claerhout en  Pieter vd Westhuizen. Sy bly egter getrou aan haar eie styl en wese.

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