Amazing clay sculptures with an intangible, esoteric quality – visual, lyrical poetry with a memorable, magical quality!
Jo Roets is a painter, sculptor and mould maker based in Cape Town, South Africa. She has a diploma in Art Direction for Film and Television, as well as an advanced diploma in Motion Picture Production Design. She worked in the film industry for several years before committing herself as a full-time artist in 2017.
The meaning behind her work is connected to her own heartfelt life experiences. Jo is a recovering alcoholic into her fourth year of sobriety. Through the process of recovery, she has rediscovered her creative essence and with it the strength to pursue her career as a professional artist.
Lembranças
(Keepsakes)
During her recovery programme she met a diverse range of people from different walks of life, challenged by similar problems. Her work reflects her recognition of an essence of common humanity that manifests in all of us. Her work celebrates cultural and social difference and at the same time recognises the oneness as it manifests within humanity.
Her clay works evidence inspiration from the diversity of South African cultural influences and her own life experiences.
Nostalgic references are made where she captures decorative essences of her Afrikaans grandmother’s crocheted doilies, Islamic prayer mats, Ndebele paintings and the raised patterning of Zulu beer pots. She achieves these intricate results by using unusual sculpting tools such as toothpicks and needles.
Skin
"Thickness does not determine strength Inspiration: Ndebele designs and patterns from Zulu earplugs and beer pots. Patterns and studs on earthen beer vessels (ornaments called ‘Amasumpa’ and the name refers to the custom of decorating the bodies of young girls with scar tattoos)."
Roets' ceramics are delicate, and lyrical. The low-relief, patterned sculptures exude a peaceful, rhythmic, and balanced quality. Her use of pattern, shape and the light that dances over it create something poetic and most memorable.
We look forward to future work by this inspirational, innovative and creative young artist!
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