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| I was fortunate to be brought up on a farm in Matabeleland, a province in south western Zimbabwe. As a child growing up my life was imbued with a sense of wildlife, space and freedom and I always wanted to express the world around me. My mother and father, both artistically minded, encouraged us to sculpt and draw from an early age. It was therefore only natural that I became passionate about art and interpreting Africa. To this end I went to art school in South Africa, majoring in sculpture and graduating with distinction. Once finished I returned to Zimbabwe, concentrating for the next six years, on capturing the overall impact of the veldt and African atmosphere, so emotive and mysterious, predominantly through the medium of painting and drawing. I was able to make a living from my art, but with the economic difficulties of Zimbabwe becoming more and more acute I decided to move over to the UK in 2001. It was an enormous adjustment adapting to a completely different life, but as luck would have it I found work in a well established Fine Art Bronze Casting Foundry. The work is physically demanding, but I love being involved in the processes and it has stood me in great stead with my own work to understand the limitations and possibilities of the bronze medium. In time I was able to cast some of my own work where there was space left in a kiln and whenever I had a spare moment I would work on finishing off my pieces. Nowadays I have reciprocal arrangement with two foundries who generously allow me the use of their resources to produce and patinate my wildlife sculpture. For me sculpture is a 3-dimentional photograph of a moment in time. These moments and the animals in them have their own movement and vivid essence which I believe are essential to capture. With this in mind I look at an animal’s particular characteristics, vitality and personality to determine what gestural treatment and patination will create the actions and tenuousness of the moment best. Though sculpture is a main focus for me, I do still paint and sketch extensively. Not only does it act as a sculptural aid but also a release from the physical demands of sculpting. In my painting I am able to express the overall impact of the veldt and not just its inhabitants. I endeavour to portray the colours and shapes that evoke the African atmosphere, its light and its aridity so that anyone can feel the heat of mid afternoon or chill just before dusk…. ….and it is these feelings, the viscerally powerful demanding environment of Africa that is critical in interpreting its wildlife, accurately and evocatively. She is a continent to envelop yourself in, to consume you, to realize the complexity of nature and vastness of the bigger picture. Our lives, so small and insignificant, belong to this and every year I return for at least three months to visit my family home, my studio and the National Parks, to reconnect and re-evaluate. |
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EXHIBITIONS
2008 Induna Art Gallery, Bulawayo Picasso's Bulawayo Thirteen Langton Street Gallery, London David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation 'Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition,Mall Galleries,London Affrodissiac Art Gallery, Bulawayo
2007 National Exhibition of Wildlife Art, Liverpool Marwell International Wildlife Art Exhibition, Marwell Zoo Bisley Shooting Association, Bisley Shooting Ground. Induna Art Gallery, Bulawayo Picasso's Bulawayo Thirteen Langton Street Gallery, London David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation 'Art for Survival' Auction,Christies, London
2006 Society of Wildlife Artists, Mall Galleries, London National Exhibition of Wildlife Art, Liverpool Marwell International Wildlife Art Exhibition, Marwell Zoo Roundhouse Gallery, Spalding Lincolnshire Neville Contemporary ,Chelsea Art Fair Group Exhibition, Singapore Induna Art Gallery, Bulawayo Roasted Berry Cafe, Bulawayo
2005 Chelsea Art Society Annual Exhibition London National Exhibition of Wildlife Art, Liverpool Marwell International Wildlife Art Exhibition, Marwell Zoo The Wildlife Art Society International Exhibition, Port Lympne Zoo Obsidian Gallery, Stoke Manderville Bucks
2004 United Society of Artists Exhibition, Westminster, London Chelsea Art Society Annual Exhibition London Bath Society of Artists Annual Exhibition UK Dulwich Picture Gallery Summer Exhibition London Marwell international Wildlife Society Annual Exhibition UK South African Art Show, The Wine Gallery London
2003 Society of Wildlife Artists, Mall Galleries, London United Society of Artists Exhibition, Westminster, London Artists & Illustrators Magazine Article October Issue
2002 National Exhibition of Wildlife Art, Liverpool
1996 to 2001 Christies Wildlife Auction 2000 Christies Wildlife Auction 1998 Local group exhibition in Bulawayo and Chiredzi Four person exhibition at Picassos’ Bulawayo Zimbabwe Sun Hotels, Victoria Falls Wildlife Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth Induna Art Gallery, Bulawayo Matobo Hills Lodge, Bulawayo Picasso’s, Bulawayo Savannah Arts, Maun, Botswana Gecko Gallery, Bulawayo
1992 to 1995 Standard Bank National Arts Festival, Grahamstown: Johan Carinus Art Centre Port Elizabeth Technikon Student Exhibitions Eastern Province Society of Fine Arts Annual Exhibition
COMMISSIONS
1995 to 2006 Numerous Private Commissions in particular:
Bronze Group of African Painted Hunting Dogs 7 pastel paintings for Telkom Head Office, Port Elizabeth Pair of Bronze Rhino for Anaesthesiologists Congress of South Africa Diorama for Lancashire Steel at Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Bronze Lion Portraits of the Big Five in oil 37 Pastel Studies for Antelope Park, Gweru
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Georgina graduated with distinction from Port Elizabeth Technikon - 1992 to 1995 with a National Diploma in Fine Art. Majoring in Sculpture with Paintings & Ceramics as minor subjects.
Georgina received numerous Merit Awards and Bursaries, most notably: Tthe Portland Cement Institute Design Award 1993, The Coca Cola Bursary 1994, Santam Bank Bursary Award Winner 1994, P. E Technikons own Bursary Award 1992, 1993 and 1995 |
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| © 2005 Georgina G Winch | |
