Claire Greenspan is an artist living and working in Cape Town.
Following a childhood in Pretoria, she attended Michaelis School of Fine Art. Thereafter, she obtained a degree in Social Work, and after working in the field for several years, attended City Varsity where she completed a two-year course in make-up for film, theatre and special effects. She has also completed the ASTAR (Awakening Spirit Through Art) training course to become an art facilitator. Over the years, she received invaluable tuition and inspiration from well-known South African artist and family friend Cecil Skotnes.
Describing her life as “a juggle between all things I love and am passionate about,” she finds time to paint alongside her other roles as parent, photographer (many in our community will know her from events covered over the years), and Social Worker in the Special Care Unit at Highlands House.
She has dedicated her current solo exhibition to her husband of nearly 23 years who passed away suddenly three years ago.
The most recent exhibitions that she’s participated in are In a Frame Mob Art show @ 6 Spin Street (2019), Group Exhibition @ Bantry Retreat Guest House (2020) and Home is where the Art is, Zeitz MOCAA (2021/2).
In Claire’s latest body of work, she’s explored potent real-life challenges, processed at a deeper, unconscious energetic level. The materials and even more so, the brushmarks contain emotional content where both chaos and order have found a place to rest within a structured system.
Claire describes her process, “The grid-like framework is noticeably symbolic, like the roots of a tree, or scaffolding. What’s emerged unplanned onto canvas is a grounding arrangement of line and form that has provided a sense of inner calm, at the time of processing grief. The healing, therapeutic capacity of the creative process has been profound.
Colour has been a playground for expression. Emotions evoked, into dark and lightness, indicative of the fleeting colourful kaleidoscope presented by the nature of personal experience.”
Claire will be holding a solo exhibition at The Yard, Silo District, V&A Waterfront from 16 March – 12 April 2022. To attend the opening, please RSVP clairegreenspanphoto@gmail.com
She also continues to sell her work locally and abroad via her Instagram account – clairegreenspan_art.
• Published in the PDF edition of the March 2022 issue – Click here to get it.
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