A life etched in South Africa

Bathurst artist Tori Stowe is becoming almost as well known for her lyrical Facebook writing as her finely etched drawings (oh, and her work on home ware for a national upmarket store). A regular Festival exhibitor, she sketches the background to her new work: When I was about nine years old, a State of Emergency was declared in South Africa. Civilian men were called up to patrol and defend. My father, a teacher, dressed in his government issue commando uniform of dark brown, cleaned his gun, and looked like someone else's father. Then he was gone. For the first time, someone in our family was absent and I noted tearfully that we were not bound to each other for survival. I had not realised that a family was detachable.

The first time also that the outside world, politics, effected my life.

Tainted, one could say. Because in South Africa politics are pretty much always dirty and also always about colour. Black, white and red mix to make brown.

My dad returned two weeks later. Tanned almost as dark as his uniform. Smelling like gun oil and the air of somewhere else.

For me, he brought a large white crystal rock and great relief. This rock, a talisman of safety, a piece of a puzzle in its place, I valued very highly. ● It was the first of many treasures he brought me.”

CONSEQUENCES: an exhibition of visual art by Tori Stowe, is at the Carinus Art Centre, Beaufort St, Grahamstown.