Bio and my Inspirations
Vuka & me....
I grew up on a farm in the Cradle of Mankind area of South Africa, just outside the city of Johannesburg.
I have wonderful memories of playing barefoot between fields of flowers, rows of fruit trees and patches of vegetables. Being close to nature inspired me from a young age.
I remember being fascinated with the forms of the flowers, and fruits - round and
intricate with all these layers.
Then i envisioned a world that is filled with Peace where Humans live together in Harmony
with another and in connection with all living Beings -
Balanced in themselves and walking the Earth with Respect and Honor, for in her roundness
Mother Earth feeds us, and as we follow the rhythm of the cycles, holding hands in circles,
being and living who we are in Spirit, in freedom - we fulfill our Sacred Circle of Life........
and I still hold this vision........
I have wonderful memories of playing barefoot between fields of flowers, rows of fruit trees and patches of vegetables. Being close to nature inspired me from a young age.
I remember being fascinated with the forms of the flowers, and fruits - round and
intricate with all these layers.
Then i envisioned a world that is filled with Peace where Humans live together in Harmony
with another and in connection with all living Beings -
Balanced in themselves and walking the Earth with Respect and Honor, for in her roundness
Mother Earth feeds us, and as we follow the rhythm of the cycles, holding hands in circles,
being and living who we are in Spirit, in freedom - we fulfill our Sacred Circle of Life........
and I still hold this vision........
Coffee and Tea sets painted by Mandala Africa.
I can recall an art class when i was 9 during all my school years, painting and being happy, and then not again......but it was in 1987 when I visited a flea market in Johannesburg with my brother that a penny dropped....I saw these beautifully shaped pottery tea and coffee sets. Wishing to buy them, but I didn't like the colour of them - grey, I said to my brother: "I love these but I don't like the color" - upon which he said: "Paint them...." I answered: "I can't paint," he assured: "yes, you can". So I bought 2 sets and painted them for both of us, and that's how I started to paint again......
The picture on the left is that 1st creation
The picture on the left is that 1st creation
Hand painted terracotta pots by Mandala Africa.
I joined South African Airways from 1983 - 1990, as Cabin Crew.
Since the inspiration of painting the tea sets and during a stop-over in Lisbon for 10 days - I found a factory that made terracotta pots, plates, candle holders and jars - I loved the texture and styles!
On cold rainy days, I used to sit in my hotel room and paint designs on them.
Looking at them now I see I was starting to do Mandalas already, but not realizing it - the designs were always around the objects - forming a circle!
The photos on the left are some of those terracotta pottery sets which I painted.
Since the inspiration of painting the tea sets and during a stop-over in Lisbon for 10 days - I found a factory that made terracotta pots, plates, candle holders and jars - I loved the texture and styles!
On cold rainy days, I used to sit in my hotel room and paint designs on them.
Looking at them now I see I was starting to do Mandalas already, but not realizing it - the designs were always around the objects - forming a circle!
The photos on the left are some of those terracotta pottery sets which I painted.
HEARTS - hand painted table cloth by Mandala Africa.
......after I traveled around the globe and being inspired by all native cultures, their vibrant colours and designs in clothing and ways of living including South Africa's native cultures too, I settled down in a peaceful little seaside town to paint full time....... I started painting Mandalas in 1995, sitting down listening to music, scribbling little flowers, inside flowers, which led to bigger flowers and then I learned what they form,.......... in 1996 I visited India for 3 months where i enter the inner realms of Self discovery and returned very inspired to do more Mandalas. I felt i have found my calling and feel passionate about each creation.
For many years I painted many large Mandalas on cloth, also on canvas, cards, walls and meditation cushions. As I painted them I had visions of doing them with glass beads one day........so in 2010 I started to create Mandalas with glass beads to be used as a dream catcher or Light /Sun catcher, but felt to call them Sacred Dream Mandalas. 2012 I started doing these sacred circles adding crystals and semi precious gemstones together with the glass beads and some with Hemp string. All the art pieces are unique and not to be repeated or copied.
Besides in South Africa in various homes and a retreat center, the Mandalas have also made their way to various countries - England, France, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada, Malaysia, and Dubai.
For many years I painted many large Mandalas on cloth, also on canvas, cards, walls and meditation cushions. As I painted them I had visions of doing them with glass beads one day........so in 2010 I started to create Mandalas with glass beads to be used as a dream catcher or Light /Sun catcher, but felt to call them Sacred Dream Mandalas. 2012 I started doing these sacred circles adding crystals and semi precious gemstones together with the glass beads and some with Hemp string. All the art pieces are unique and not to be repeated or copied.
Besides in South Africa in various homes and a retreat center, the Mandalas have also made their way to various countries - England, France, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada, Malaysia, and Dubai.
STRONGBOW - painting on cloth by Mandala Africa
........other great INSPIRATIONS for me, have been -
"The Circle has healing power. In the Circle, we are all equal. No one is in front of you, no one is behind you, no one is above you, no one is below you. The Sacred Circle is designed to create unity. The Hoop of Life is also a circle. On this hoop there is a place for every species, every race, every tree and every plant. It is this completeness of Life that must be respected in order to bring about health on this planet."
— Dave Chief (1930 - 2005), Oglala Lakota.
"Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about and beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. While I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy."
- Black Elk, 1931, (Native American Indian Chief)
"The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves."
- Black Elk, 1928, (Oglala Lakota Medicine Man)
"The Circle has healing power. In the Circle, we are all equal. No one is in front of you, no one is behind you, no one is above you, no one is below you. The Sacred Circle is designed to create unity. The Hoop of Life is also a circle. On this hoop there is a place for every species, every race, every tree and every plant. It is this completeness of Life that must be respected in order to bring about health on this planet."
— Dave Chief (1930 - 2005), Oglala Lakota.
"Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about and beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. While I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy."
- Black Elk, 1931, (Native American Indian Chief)
"The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves."
- Black Elk, 1928, (Oglala Lakota Medicine Man)
