Rise and Fall

The title of the painting relates to cycles and the options we are faced with, whether they are life-affirming or destructive. The painting was inspired by a series of photographs I took of the titanium-rich sand along the Wild Coast. Titanium is like a magnet to Australian mining companies who are intent on extracting the mineral from the sand. It has caused much division and pain amongst the Xolobeni community, who are mostly opposed to the mining on their ancestral land. They are well aware that the mining will ruin both the land and their livelihood. It is particularly topical now as the people of Xolobeni are awaiting judgement on a court case about this issue.