Andrew Kayser

Lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa

Artist statement

Doubt, ambiguity, and contradiction are central themes in my work: it is my desire to elicit more than one interpretation from the viewer; to see and understand that it is not a matter of EITHER/OR, but rather BOTH/AND. In so doing an attempt is made to investigate and acknowledge the privilege of being born white in South Africa and the benefits incurred at the expense of others. I try to create an absurd, ambivalent, darkly humorous reality where, while you may lose your footing, you have no choice but to abandon yourself to the pleasures of the surface and in so doing be able to recognize the need to question our belief systems, challenge dogma and acknowledge that ultimately we are deeply flawed, muddled creatures aspiring to idealized notions and perfect lives. But that is okay, if we recognize this, we may experience a fragile necessary grace. The suburban landscape is ubiquitous to the majority of white South Africans. It is where we grow up, go to school, walk our dogs. The space where lazy weekend barbecues are enjoyed among family and friends, where children play on manicured lawns in spacious, well-kept gardens or cavort merrily in swimming pools while the sun shines in the clear blue sky. It is the space that divides and separates us, the veil that conceals the massive economic and racial disparities that continue to afflict South African society. It is the space that informs most of the work that encompasses my practice over the past 2 years. Since 2016 I have...

Artwork