Painter, Carla Landman held her first solo art exhibit at the Greenroots Gallery in Weltevreden Park on November 4. Titled ‘Giving’ the gallery was filled with Carla’s pieces which primarily focuses on hands and children as subjects.
“I love painting hands. Not only faces give you that expression; hands can be very expressive as well. The hands say a lot. The theme of my exhibition is giving and you can see in my paintings there are a lot of hands that are giving or offering something; giving doesn’t always mean a physical thing,” she explained. “I wanted to convey a message that you can give of yourself with your time and effort. These days we are all too busy with work or family, but the most precious thing you can give to someone is your time.”
She also shared that she loves painting children because they are “precious miracles”. Carla gave up teaching to paint full-time and was visibly excited albeit slightly nervous. “This has been my dream since I can remember and now it’s happening. I think this is the beginning of a new journey.”
As guests mingled and squeezed passed each other to soak up the art pieces, a few shared how Carla’s artistry had evolved over the years. Deon Strydom said, “It’s lovely. We have about five of Carla’s paintings. We have known her for a long time and she is an amazing artist. It’s amazing to see the artistic growth from what we have to what she is doing now. It’s really amazing.”
Anja Louw, Carla’s sister beamed with pride as she spoke about the exhibit. “it’s so special to see how she grew since she started painting to where she is now. I am very proud of her; I just get goose bumps every time.”
Rona Zwarts who gave the opening remarks, shared quips about Carla. She shared how she went from being very shy and scared to blossoming into the artist she is today. “Carla’s character is to give and help. For too long art has been decorative and almost meaningless. But it should always ask ‘what is behind the image?’ Good art provides people who don’t have the vocabulary the ability to articulate themselves. We were created to beautify.”
The exhibition will run until November 15 from 9:00 to 15:00. Co-owners of Greenroots art gallery, Marlene de Wet and Heléne Steyl added, “Tonight has been a great success. Carla is a beautiful person. It is all about the hands with her work. It’s very symbolic. She captures innocence in children very beautifully. There is content, abundance and innocence.”
