POSTCARDS FROM PARADISE WILL BE SHOWING UNTIL 4 FEB. ‘22 JOIN US FOR FIRST THURSDAYS ON THE 3RD OF FEB.’22

In 2020 Gazelle was on his annual road trip through the tapestry that is South Africa where on the last day he stood in front of the Pierneef ‘Station Panels’ at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch in awe. These masterpieces inspired him to take on the task of creating a newfangled visual representation of each province. He commenced by writing a depiction of each territory into a manufactured scenography that drew from the country's rich diversity and complexes past. In an alternative take on magic realism, he researched mythological and historical references, weaving into a fantastical balance of symbolic colloquial natural elements of landscape, fauna, and flora. An exercise to deconstruct history and reassemble it into inspiring objects of beauty whilst exploring his constant study of iconography and the power of symbolism. 

During this period he connected with visual artist Llewellyn van Eeden and approached him with the idea of partnering up to bring the visual elements to life through his craft of illustration. During the past year and a half, the two set off on the path to combine comic-style elements from the likes of Hergé’s Tin-Tin with the stylistic approach of Pierneef, to create a marriage of characters and landscapes in a uniquely South African experience titled ‘Postcards from Paradise’. 

This journey inspired Gazelle to write and produce a song by the same title which is a traveling troubadours journey of walking through South Africa and sipping the sweet juice of life’s experiences and adventure through each territory in an ode to the beauty of the country’s rich treasure trove of people and places.  Llewellyn, hailing from Mtubatuba, in rural Zululand, is a multi-disciplinary designer based in London, UK. Although he has moved through different industries, including fashion, advertising, and tech, his first love has always been illustration.