Category: Interviews & Conversations

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Interviews & Conversations Projects Women I've Shot

Women Who Create
This is Tiffany Marx

Women Who Create is an ongoing portraiture project all shot in B&W in my studio in Woodstock, Cape Town. I love to connect with other creatives and see what motivates them and find out what is behind there work.

I’ve known Tiffany for well over two decades and started jewellery design alongside her when we were at school. Tiffany went on to become a full time pro-jeweller. I’d describe her as a passionate, hardworking force to be reckoned with and a loyal and beautiful friend. Tiffany produces her unique handmade range of jewellery and bespoke, custom made orders from her airy, industrial studio in Salt River, Woodstock.

After graduating from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology she launched her own highly successful range of “Inspired Jewellery” at the 2007 Design Indaba.
Now, several years later she runs her own shop in The Watershed at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.Over the years Tiffany’s ranges have evolved yet also remained consistent in their integrity and her personal style which is bold, clean and contemporary. I’ve included many examples of her work and you can find more here on Instagram.
 


A Q&A with Tiffany Marx:

What is your all time favorite quote?
I have far too many to just choose one, here are some of my favourites:

“Where there is love, there is life” – Gandhi

“What keeps life fascinating is the constant creativity of the soul” – Deepak Chopra
“The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“The earth has music for those who listen” – Shakespeare
“Watch carefully, the magic that occurs when you give a person just enough comfort to be themselves” – Atticus
Do you have pet peeves?
People who litter and those who don’t respect another’s time.
Your worst trait?
I can be a terrible procrastinator!
What is/are your greatest extravagance/s?
The usually VERY rare weekday lie in with my kitties all snuggled up purring in bed with me (this has been a more frequent occurrence during lockdown and I am loving it) and my ever-growing Gin collection.
Your greatest fear?
Losing the use of my hands and eyes…
What defines your idea of happiness?

The fact that I wake up excited and get to do what I love every single day.

When and where are/where you happiest?
I have two. The first is in my studio – in the early morning or late afternoon evening when the light is at its most magical and I can sit and work and soak up the views of the mountain. The second would be in our beautiful home – snuggled up with Jack and my two amazing kitties.
What is your most treasured possession?
The amazing art pieces that I am lucky enough to have inherited from my late grandfather and Artist, Hannes Harrs
What does your (physical) creative space look like?
Amazing natural light, pops of yellow, green trailing plants, industrial glass windows with a panoramic view of Lions Head and Table Mountain, and the most beautiful polished, textured concrete and resin floors.
What do you get huge satisfaction out of doing apart from your primary creative outlet?
I adore cooking and find massive satisfaction in working with clay – any creative pursuits that I can get stuck into and really experience the process of.
When creating what is your biggest frustration?
Not having big enough chunks of time to just sit at the bench and lose myself in my work.
When you’re in your ultimate creative space what word would you use to describe the experience?
Transcendent
You can find Tiffanys Instagram feed here,- its gorgeous.
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Interviews & Conversations Projects

Women Who Create
This is Sanell Aggenbach

Women Who Create is an ongoing portraiture project all shot in B&W in my studio in Woodstock, Cape Town. I love to connect with other creatives, see what motivates them and find out what is behind their work.

Apart from creating this portrait with Sanell I’ve had the honour of documenting and working with her on project she’s busy on at the moment. Working with Sanell is divine. I’d describe her as having an open heart, being blissfully talented and rocking to her own beat (in her studio with the music turned up).

Sanell Aggenbach is a South African artist living and working in Woodstock, Cape Town. Using painting, printmaking, and sculpture, her work addresses the relationship between history and private narratives, with a sense of ambiguity. Her work also explores the processes of nostalgia and historical myth-making, often incorporating the playful, disarming, and absurd to draw the viewer into discussions of darker subjects. She has a unique style of combining traditional painting techniques with sculptural elements, as well as typically feminine crafts such as sewing and tapestry. (-Wikipedia).

“My earlier works relied heavily on processing found imagery, rethinking associations and creating new fictions. These works were often an amalgamation of historic references with private narratives and forms part of a process of investigating pathologies and deconstructing the past. My primary intention is to construct subtle paradoxes by introducing a quiet humour, either formally or materially.”

Her explorative work has secured her many achievements including winning the Absa L’Atelier Award in 2003. Her work is represented in numerous public and private collections, including Sasol, Absa, Spier, SABC, Red Bull (Austria), the South African National Gallery, 21C Museum in Kentucky (USA) and Anglo Gold.

Find Sanell’s website here.

A Q&A with Sanell…

Why do you create?

It’s my most optimum method of communicating ideas, emotions and concepts.

What is your all time favorite quote?

JUST DO IT! The Nike slogan… because I’m a procrastinator and tend to overthink…

Do you have pet peeves?

Charlatans, frauds, fakes, those who manipulate or take advantage of well meaning or less fortunate individuals.

What is/are your greatest extravagance/s?

Books.

What defines your idea of happiness?

Swimming with my family – we are all water rats.

A person dead or living who you admire and why?

Louise Bourgeois – she was an influential artist who only came into prominence very late in her life. Her unyielding persistence, her courage to challenge and address her immense childhood trauma in her work and her poetic use of materials, from drawing to monumental installations are haunting and humbling. 

On what occasion do you lie?

To spare my children’s feelings.

What is your most treasured possession?

A letter from my late brother, the only one he ever wrote to me.

What do you do to help put you into your optimal creative space?

I need solitude, knowing that everyone is fed and looked after… then I turn up the volume and tune in.

What does your (physical) creative space look like?

It is an old mechanic’s workshop which we renovated with large metal windows overlooking a small green courtyard. An abundance of natural light and plants.

When creating what is your biggest frustration?

My process is slow and time-consuming, with endless layering –  therefore I sometimes struggle to finish works. So instead of yielding to the process I can get frustrated due to the timeline. Having said that, I need deadlines for all my painting and sculptural projects.

Name a few quirks that others may not know about you?

I’m stubborn, persistent and I hate baking.

When you’re in your ultimate creative space what word would you use to describe the experience?

Timeless.

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Interviews & Conversations Projects Women I've Shot

Women Who Create
This is Alexia Klompje

Women Who Create is an ongoing portraiture project all shot in B&W in my studio in Woodstock, Cape Town. I love to connect with other creatives and see what motivates them and find out what is behind there work.


Alexia Klompje is a South African ceramicist who I first met before her clay-days when she was in fashion styling.

I’d describe Alexia as a ceramicist, an artist, a healer & a storyteller.

She creates ceramic pieces and hosts workshops that both tell her story, share her learnings, make connections & aim to inspire others. And this is her story…

It all started in 2012 when I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Upon removal I was left unable to move the right side of my body.

I could barely leave my apartment, the recovery was slow, I was depressed & felt lost. As a creative person I desperately needed something to do with my hands whilst I healed. I had been working as a stylist for many years and loved my job. Unsure of what that creative thing was, I had a dream one night and in it i was told I needed to start working with clay. And so the journey began!

Playing with clay allowed me to express myself, tell my story and heal. Through clay I truly met myself, explored my creativity & discovered my soul path. And Klomp Ceramics was born.

I now create pieces and collections of work that express both my minimalistic design aesthetic, and my personal story, experiences & connection to self and spirit. The pieces I create are organic, imbued with emotion and a meaningful message. I hope to inspire others through this story whilst creating beautiful handmade contemporary ceramic pieces.

To date I’ve launched many collections & ranges under my brand, have worked on numerous collaborations, exhibited and been featured in various publications and online media both locally and abroad.

Currently I am moving into a more personal space, changing the way I make and my clay offerings as I evolve, grow & shift as a conscious human being.

My story and experiences now also inspire me to hold workshops where I guide and facilitate true reconnection and healing with the creative self through clay work.

I currently work & sell from my studio & shop at 114 Upper Mill Street, Vredehoek, Cape Town.

Finish this sentence: I create because…?

It’s who I am.

What is your motto?

“Do what you love. Love what you do.” I saw it on a bumper sticker and it was the catalyst for a massive life transformation!

Do you have pet peeves?

Yes, Inauthenticity is my worst.

When and where are/where you happiest?

With my daughter, at home, out in nature, meditating, practicing yoga, playing with clay, eating delicious food, connecting to others meaningfully.

What is your most treasured possession?

A black & white sketch my husband drew when he was a child of Paris which ended up being made into an official YSL campaign poster.

What do you do to help put you into your optimal creative space?

I connect with the Source, the Divine, my Higher Self.

What does your (physical) creative space look like?

White, light, real, neat but dusty & inspiring.

Name a few quirks that others may not know about you?

I can burp on queue. I have weird long middle toes like ET fingers.

When you’re in your ultimate creative space what word would you use to describe the experience?

Heavenly.

I’m bursting with excitement to launch my new works. Although I feel I need to start calling them my new plays because since making this shift in what I’m making it just doesn’t feel like work anymore. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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At this time of uncertainty one thing I’m certain of; there is a place in this world for meaningful art, creations, connections and joy. More so than ever. And this is what these new works of mine represent.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀


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I started them at the beginning of this year when I started my own personal transformation & spiritual awakening. Months before Covid-19 directly affected my life I intuitively knew that my life and how I moved through it needed to dramatically change. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And so my extremely challenging but beautiful journey within began. And these magical pieces were born. To share with you. At this most important time.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The new chapter to my story.⠀

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Books | Mags | Articles | Ads | Film Interviews & Conversations Projects Women I've Shot

An Interview: Breastfeeding101 – A portrayal of the pleasures & pains of breastfeeding

This is Abigail

South African, age 34
Location At the post office in Mowbray, Cape Town, South Africa
Feeding her 13-month-old child
Photographed August 2017

When my daughter was six months old, I returned to work. During the build-up to that Monday I spent the weekend stressing that I would not be able to provide her with enough expressed milk for my first day away from her.  Ultimately the stressing served no purpose; in spite of it I ended up having more than enough. I had to pump milk at work, hands-free, sometimes in mid-conversation with colleagues – and not be inhibited, or make them feel so*. Breastfeeding’s longevity and success are very much controlled by how we approach it and the environment we create around it. It can be the most joyful experience any mother can have if faced head-on, without fear or inhibition. I have pretty much fed anywhere, respectfully, and chosen not to worry about it most of the time. Whether others have cared or not, I can’t say. They have not been my focus.

The bond I have with my daughter while she is feeding is incredible. Feeling her hair against my skin, her weight in my arms… it’s very satisfying, the rush of the milk being let down when she starts to feed, her stroking my arm or touching my neck. She is more confident and secure and I believe this is strongly connected to the relationship created during breastfeeding. When she is sad, sick, worried or sore, breastfeeding and breast milk soothes and comforts her in a way that nothing else can. It is consistent – unlike anything else in life.

I think we all experience our bodies, breasts and breastfeeding in our own way. Yes, our bodies are sexy and completely awesome and should be idolised in their many shapes and forms, but at the same time our basic biological function is procreation. That is the sobering part that condemning types like to overlook when they start their criticisms. Breastfeeding is equally beautiful, is less provocative and exposes a woman’s beauty and strength in another light.

Why would you spend money on formula that is firstly, costly and secondly, not uniquely designed as your breast milk is, for the individual needs of your child? If you are producing your own milk and are able to feed your baby with reasonable ease, then there should not be the need for another option.

<sidenote>
Abigail works as a Freelance Costume Supervisor for Films and Series.

In 2019 I published my first book, Breastfeeding 101, which features candid portraits of 101 breastfeeding women as well their honest stories. In this blog post you see one of the mothers represented with her blurb from the book.

The idea for this book was unexpectedly sparked three years ago when I started seeing a lot of controversial social media content about breasts, nipples and breastfeeding.


Looking forward I hope my book can help normalise what is already a women’s most natural act. I would love to see the breastfeeding percentage rate in South Africa double. It came as a surprise to learn that, according to the 2018 statistics of the World Health Organisation (WHO), our country has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world.

Breastfeeding 101 features mothers from South Africa as well as around the globe and serves as a first-hand body of information – an unintentional handbook – directly from the women it captures.

Breastfeeding 101 is a book that wasn’t intended as a manual but may serve as one.

Basic info about the book:

Title: Breastfeeding 101
Publisher: Self-published via Staging Post
Format: Hardcover, 22 x 27cm, 224 pages
Price: ZAR385
Available for purchase via Exclusive Books, The Book Lounge and directly from the author.