Coming from a long line of architects, I grew up with a love of old buildings and good design. Life in the historic heart of a city can often be bittersweet. You are immersed in a cosmopolitan buzz that is absent in suburbia, surrounded by wonderful old buildings, designed and built when good design and workmanship took precedence over saving time and money. But all buildings, if not maintained, will degrade over time, so a degree of urban decay and its companion, crime, is often present in these older parts.

The worldwide phenomenon of urban decay becomes particularly noticeable when amplified by the rampant crime. In South Africa, the draconian excesses of Apartheid led to a pendulum swing reaction, so that the new Government was too soft on crime. This has resulted in the ironic situation where criminals run free on the streets, whilst honest residents live behind bars and razor wire. The old Premier Milling building, elegant in its functional simplicity, beautifully proportioned and with arched windows to break the austerity, is one notable victim of this. It has been abandoned, and has now reached the point where it is probably too late to save it. I’ve been photographing, drawing and painting it in recent years, chronicling the sad decline, in protest against the loss of our heritage icons.

A series which began with the idea of combining horns and thorns, i.e. cattle with large horns and the large paired thorns found on Acacia Karoo trees, which bear a striking resemblance to each other. With the obvious symbolism of cattle being protected in thorn kraals, it encompassed thoughts of protecting what one holds valuable, which is relative, depending on who you are.

If you’re a Dinka Tribesman, your cattle are literally your life, of the greatest possible value. Due to cattle-feuds and raids, it is no longer enough to protect them in kraals of thorns. In Southern Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, cattle wars have led to the death of literally thousands, and herdsmen protect their cattle with AK 47s.

By contrast, in 1st world countries, cattle are just another commodity, and can be depicted more flippantly. Valued possessions often revolve around fixed property, which is protected with razor-wire and alarm systems. There is also a need to protect ourselves. So the range of images in this series is quite wide, and combines painting, drawing, photography, and ceramics.

Chess and Monopoly are games, but reflect a much bigger picture. On many levels, from whole nations, down to individuals, we are in a struggle to hold onto what we hold dear, while simultaneously dispossessing others (whether consciously or by default.)

This chessboard installation is made up of individual pieces, each telling a story … maybe someone’s home, land, wealth, poverty. Perhaps an oppressive leader, a homeless bushman, someone whose shack is their castle, or whose castle is their prison. The works form a big picture, ‘a cacophony of voices trying to be heard’. But, as with each of us, they also have their own unique story to tell. So each is for sale individually. They have been made using many different media and techniques, yet what unites them is the encaustic… hot wax melted into them.