the Artist
Hello!
I’m Erika Turvey
South African Artist based in Wilderness
From as young as I can remember, I have always been enthralled by art. The array of different colours would captivate my mind, and to watch a picture come to life with the stroke of a paintbrush made my young heart soar. I would draw, sketch, and paint with anything I could get my small hands on, and I would memorize all art techniques that I came across with a frenzied passion. Thus, I discovered my artistic talent at a young age.
I was born in the Limpopo Province in 1982, in the simple agricultural town of Modimolle. Growing up I struggled to fit in amongst my peers in the farming community. By high school I was frustrated; I knew I had the ability to expand upon my artistic skills, but the lack of art programs in the area made me feel stunted. I voiced my frustrations to my parents and they heard my pleas. They sent me to Pro Arte Alphen Park School in Pretoria, South Africa — an opportunity that changed my life. It was here that I bloomed into the artist I am today.
Once done with school I studied Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria, and I then went on to teach art at Optima College for the Visually Impaired. Here I learned about art from a whole new perspective. I had to learn how to explain colour through texture, how to form pictures through touch, and in many ways my students taught me. This experience influenced my work greatly. Thus, the eyes in my work became a focal point and many textures became a staple.
Art helps me to communicate — you might say it is my language. It allows me to express my thoughts and emotions visually. Flight, escapism, the conscience and life itself are some of the topics I love to work with. I don’t use any live models or photos as references when I paint my portraits; my figures are not always anatomically correct. All the people I create on canvas are from my dreams or memories. The people in my portraits do not exist until I start painting. They are a direct expression of emotion, and each one is completely unique.
Personal Journey & Series
Purpose
The whole gallery is my personal emotional journey, working through a difficult experience revolving around grief and loss. About 6 years ago, I lost someone very near and dear to my heart due to them taking their own life. This loss impacted my art in a major way, almost changing the style and purpose of my art completely.
It all started from a series of paintings called “Left Behind” — mourning the loss of a loved one. The following series is called “Consciousness”, representing the thoughts and emotions that come with loss. These paintings can be identified by a woman’s face looking dead-on with big eyes.
With these paintings I wanted to convey the inner battle I was having with myself — thoughts like:
“What could I have done to prevent it?”
“Why didn’t I notice the signs?”
“Am I the reason?”
The next part of the series is called “Golden Consciousness”, where gold leaf pieces are worked into the paintings. This represents a silver lining — coming to the conclusion that there was nothing I could have done to prevent someone from making that decision, and that I could neither change anyone’s mind nor be in their mind.
All I could do in that moment is hope that they are in a better, more peaceful place and continue cherishing my loved ones.
The conclusion of the series is “Empowerment” — depicting a woman holding a dove in a dazzling red dress with intricate patterns, referring back to “Left Behind”. No longer being carried away by these emotions, but rather taking control of them — grounded and flourishing.
