KNYSNA NEWS – Knysna artist Stanley Grootboom has always worked hard towards the preservation of indigenous South African cultures through his art and his latest effort constitutes illustrations for the first ever storybook published in the endangered N/uu language - now only spoken by a single native speaker, Katrina Esau (88).
"My inspiration to illustrate the storybook, titled !Qhoi nla Tjhoi (Tortoise and Ostrich), actually came from my keen interest in our indigenous culture," Grootboom says.
"I started to do research on our indigenous culture in 1995 and it forms a very important part of my subject matter as I'm interested in the promotion, education and preservation of our indigenous culture."
He was approached by executive director of Puku Books Elinor Sisulu to illustrate, and "did not think twice".
It took Grootboom only seven days to illustrate the book, which has been published in three languages – N/uu, Afrikaans and English. Esau's granddaughter Claudia Snyman assisted her grandmother in translating the book from the N/uu language, and the Afrikaans text was edited by Diana Ferris, a renowned poet from Cape Town.
Early interest in art
Grootboom (46) has held a keen interest in art for pretty much all of his life. Born in Coldstream, a small Eastern Cape Village as a child he and his friends frequented the surrounding Tsitsikamma forests, which served as their play park where the dark brown rivers were their swimming pools.
"I used to collect driftwood and carve it into birds, human heads, and other shapes. Soon I started to draw pictures of the forest, old forestry houses and people in everyday situations," he relates.
He attended Coldstream Junior Primary School where his talent and artistic drive were nurtured by his art teacher, the late Ms Jordaan. Grootboom produced his first water colour painting at age 12 and left Tsitsikamma a year later to attend Knysna Secondary School where art was not taught as a subject.
Learning from the masters
"Consequently I studied books on the masters such as Rembrandt, Constable, Da Vinci, Cezanne and Picasso. By carefully studying their work I developed my own subject matter and style," Grootboom explains.
At age 17 he met Knysna artist Margaret Bolt who encouraged and mentored him further. "It was at that age that I took part in a group exhibition organised by the Knysna Arts Society, at Spring Street Gallery - now the Knysna-Plett Herald building."
Once he matriculated, Grootboom's artistic interest and inspirations began drawing heavily from cultural scenes. For much of his professional artistic career, Grootboom's inspiration has through his work drawn much-needed attention to indigenous cultures in the rural Eastern Cape, its people, and the surrounding landscapes.
"My interest in painting cultural scenes came as a result of visiting rural areas while I worked for the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture as a principal cultural officer and art centre manager."
Exhibitions and galleries
Grootboom's artworks have been featured the world over, many still hanging in private collections globally. His work has also been put on display in galleries across South Africa, including but not limited to the Lipschitz (Plettenberg Bay), North-West University (Potchefstroom), Nelson Mandela University (Gqeberha), and University of Johannesburg art galleries.
The exhibition at UJ's Fada Gallery in 2017 was, according to Grootboom, his most prominent. "Here, my famous first-of-its-kind in the world, indigenous book installation (made from recycled materials) was on display at the International Booknesses Colloquium among the work of artists such as William Kentridge," he says. Grootboom has also subsequently opened a gallery of his own, the Stanley Grootboom Art Gallery.
Stanley Grootboom with the book he donated to the Knysna Library. Photos: Blake Linder
Book illustrations
While Grootboom's primary medium has stemmed from putting brush to canvas, he has not strayed from mixed media such as lithographs and book illustrations.
Apart from Tortoise and Ostrich, Grootboom has illustrated two Nico Moolman books, Feetjies van die Wolke (The Cloud Fairies) and In a Tidal Village, as well as the self-published Khoiland Maatjies. He is also currently working on two other illustration projects.
Grootboom donated a copy of !Qhoi nla Tjhoi to the Knysna Library on 8 June, and will be attending the South African Festival of Children's Literature in July to promote the work.
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