Christine Sefolosha

Christine Sefolosha began drawing early as a child, frequently during episodes of insomnia. Born into a German–Swiss family, she moved in 1975 from her home in Montreaux to Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband and child. She continued painting and drawing, and began to circulate more among the local people. In 1983, she divorced her husband and married a black musician by the name of Sefolosha. They were driven out of the country due to apartheid, and eventually moved back to Montreaux. Sefolosha's husband departed back to South Africa, and by 1986, she was living alone with her three children. Her years in Africa inspired her to paint more, as she described it as, "an experience which won't let you go, and which made me want to give voice to everything…" Sefolosha's technique entails her bending on the ground and splashing dark pigments and sometimes, translucent watercolors onto large sheets with her hands. She often uses either dirt or tar when mixing paint and her distinctive images tend to include figures of earth's wild animals or hybrid creatures.

Links: To find out more about Christine Sefolosha, visit: http://sefolosha.com.