Artist Statement

As children we were introduced to the game of hide and seek. If you were proud of your hiding place you would burst with excitement as your seeker walked right by your secret spot. If you were a seeker, the game became an exercise in high concentration and pure curiosity with each step, head-turns, and clues of unfamiliar objects placed together. Drawing open the curtain could mean anything...

We sometimes lose that ability to draw curtains innocently as we grow older. My work negates the loss of seeking the hidden, delving deep into the unknown and familiar spaces and places. These drawings are intuitive and are a graphic novel of my past, present, and future. An enquiry into origins and meanings. A Daydream of a day in a dream. My work encourages one to take time to lose oneself in the intricacies of forms, patterns and gestures and reflect on one’s own existence.

The method of production is staining various papers with coffee and tea to layer the first experience of engaging my intuition for what may follow. The name “Oneiric Shongwe” is a pairing of Oneiric (Dreamer) and Shongwe (which is my surname). The surname is kept to retain my identity as I go along this journey of discovery.

Let me share my daydreams with you.