GALLERY MOMO PRESENTS GARY STEPHENS 'BRAID'

Inspired by African hairstyles; the intricacy of braiding, the artistry of dreadlocks, the urban style of wearing a hat rolled and angled or with sunglasses on top; Gary Stephens pays homage to the elaborate beauty of braiding through a set of portrait drawings being presented at the Gallery MOMO in Johannesburg.

By Lucy Mclean

Each of the portraits shows a back view of the model, drawing full focus to the subject’s braiding patterns as a pose to their facial expression as per usual artistic portraits. Stephens mirrors the artistic dedication behind each hairstyle by meticulously drawing each interwoven strand of hair, showing an impressive attention to detail representative of the care and devotion put into maintaining a sense of style in a contemporary South African community. The portraits seem fractured due to the use of string screens, vertical stripes and folded paper pleats to bring added motion and energy into traditional drawing, highlighting Stephens’ own search into how to keep drawing innovative within a society which is now constantly bombarded with digital imagery. The drawings are engaging and multifaceted, captivating a wide selection of patterns and geometrical repetitions, such as the textile patterns on a hand-crocheted beanie or the shadows and texture of a palm leaf in sunlight, along with folds and pleats in paper to provide a three dimensional quality to the artwork, emphasizing the weave and folds in the knitting and braided hairstyle.

Begun during his residency in Cape Town and developed over a period of three years, this series of work truly represents the positive image of a newcomer living in South Africa, portraying each character as an “everyday hero” in their own right.

Gary Stephens BRAIDS will run until 27 June 2011.