Cape Town can look forward to a unique exhibition during November this year. Cape Town artist, Penelope Jack, will be exhibiting 80 original and engaging artworks – the result of 10 years work.
“My current work is an in-depth exploration of yoga through painting - the connection between the physical and the spiritual,” says Penelope.
The artworks depict the yoga poses (asanas), energy centres (chakras), hand gestures (mudras), breathing practices (pranayamas) and meditations of Integral Hatha Yoga.
“I naturally focus on detail,” explains Penelope, “- the result of my trained jeweller’s eye. But at the same time, I want to convey the inner energy of yoga, so the works dance a fascinating path between realism and expression.”
Penelope’s artistic grounding started with Waldorf primary school education. She excelled in Art at St Andrews school and studied Fine Art in Jewellery Design at the University of Stellenbosch. After graduating she worked as an independent jeweller and supplemented her income in the salt mines of the DTP and magazine design worlds. While raising a family she worked as a graphic designer, doing corporate logos, label design, brochures and magazines.
Any spare time was filled with etching, pottery, life-drawing and painting courses with various well-known artists over the years, as well as courses in astrology and yoga.
Penelope explains: “From the outset I aimed to express universal truths through my explorations of the elements of yoga. This has gone hand in hand with my personal exploration and study of Integral Hatha yoga, something I have practiced almost daily (and occasionally taught) for over twenty-five years.”
The desire to share her knowledge of yoga has prompted Penelope, together with yoga teacher Jennifer Stephens to also produce a set of cards called ‘Chakra Yoga Cards ’. These cards use her artworks to explain the methodology behind the different poses, breathing exercises and hand gestures. Besides being beautiful to look at, there is an incredible wealth of information on each of them.
“I have always enjoyed colour and like to express myself with bold colour - both in how I wear colour and work with colour. The interplay of light and energy, which gives our world form and colour, continues to hold unlimited fascination for me,” she says.
This exciting exhibition will be held from 7th November until the 5th of December 2019 at 196 Victoria Road, Woodstock. The original artworks will be for sale and entrance is via a voluntary donation. All proceeds going to The HeadStart Trust, which provides musical opportunities for children in impoverished rural areas of South Africa.