Colourful aspects of nature

Gerine (WE) Hoff
Dusk till dawn, an exhibition by Annie Olivier, opens at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre on Monday.

Annie, a farm-girl from the Kalahari, knows the magnificence of nature and the landscapes her art aims to reflect. Since she was little, her family travelled all over Southern Africa, visiting new places all the time. Her art reflects many different landscapes, inspired by her these trips.

Annie received her artistic training at the Katutura Community Art Centre, later completing her diploma in Fine Art at Ruth Prowse School of Art in Cape Town where her interest and fascination for nature remained and grew even more.

Now, she is working to capture bioluminescent life using Ultra Violet light and Fluorescent Acrylic, showing the most spectacular aspects of nature and its magical dimensions, giving the viewer a feeling of space and letting them see the magic that exists all around, especially in Namibia.

These artworks are a way of escaping reality and to capture those magical hours between dusk and dawn.

Annie highlights the beauty of Namibian nature in its diversity: during the dry season wind and dust in the air create striking red sunsets, while the full moon rises in a red haze against a starlit background to light up the surrounding landscape.

In another artwork, multi-coloured clouds decorate the sky during the raining season.

In yet another, the Atlantic Ocean and hostile desert which have caused many deaths to the unprepared, depicts how a few special animals thrive in this solitary environment, including some fascinating, people-shy Namibians.

Annie makes you discover again, with new eyes, the intensity of Namibian nature and wildlife in general. Discover the hidden glow with the flick of a switch!

The exhibition opens at 17:30 on 16 July and can be viewed until 7 August.