In this piece I aimed to explore the concept of childhood innocence, specifically the loss thereof. This was portrayed using a child soldier. His childhood, represented by a slingshot, slips from his grasp as he is inexorably and forever changed. 

This was an A1 drawing created with Copic markers.

This piece continued my use of the child soldier imagery. The composition was based on and inspired by the iconic Soviet propaganda poster featuring Vladimir Lenin. I aimed to again explore loss of childhood innocence, however, in this case I likened new African democracies of the 1960s and 70s to a child soldier, in that they were new beginnings, flush with hope and possibility, that were violently thrust into the Cold War and manipulated by the USSR. The unreadiness of the child and this sudden and violent change is seen in his over-sized, loose clothes and his undone belt. 

This was an A1 drawing created using chalk pastels.

This piece was created based on the theme "Emigration/Immigration". I aimed to explore the promises of Dubai. Specifically the controversies surrounding their use of near-slave labour consisting of foreign nationals lured on false promises. I wanted to convey the sense that, though Dubai is a grand place from the outside, as seen in the postcard, it was built on the backs of abused labourers who live hidden in squalid slums. I wished to show the cityscape in a garish, oppressive light, with a large red sun behind. The famous Burj Khalifa as a monolithic malice. Underneath the city of course, lie the indistinct masses of the labourers who built the city. The use of mixed medium between top and bottom was intended to further convey the contrast between the seen and the unseen. 

This was an A1 drawing created using Copic markers, charcoal, as well as coloured pencils and fine-liners for the postcard. 

This piece was also created based on the "Immigration/Emigration" theme. I aimed to show the reality of xenophobia in South Africa. Many residents of neighboring nations come to South Africa for a better life. These immigrants and foreign nationals oftentimes find themselves the subject of discrimination and xenophobia, especially in informal settlements and townships. In extreme cases, when violence is introduced, they are even killed. A common and cruel way of killing involves burning victims to death inside a tyre. This form of killing is called "necklacing". I allude to this with the imagery of the man seemingly engulfed in flames. I aimed to also explore the turmoil that many experience in general as a result of immigration, and this is conveyed through the harsh colours and contrast as well as the squalid shack dwellings behind, which show the harsh reality many immigrants face around the world.

This was an A1 drawing created using chalk pastels.