Blue Pockets of Earth

Africa is known for its bold, unapologetic use of colour. Stories are told in pigments, tones and hues; a kaleidoscope as diverse as the cultures and peoples of the continent. For the initiative Colours of Africa, a collaborative project with Google Arts & Culture, we asked 60 African creatives to capture the unique spirit of their country in a colour which represents home to them.
The projects they have created are personal and distinct stories of Africa, put into images, videos, texts and illustrations. Each artist has also attempted to articulate what being African means to their identity and view of the world.

Colour:Prussian Blue
Country:South Africa

Artwork Rationale:
I spent many hours during lockdown looking at the changing skies and its various hues. From the stationary position of my balcony overlooking Cape Town, I observed the changing seasons of nature and felt the air of different levels of lockdown. The blue above me transformed into a metaphor for freedom and hope. It connected me and many others to the places in nature we love and have visited over the years of our lives.
The sky is weightless, and perfectly frames and holds whatever is happening on Earth’s busy ground plane. It counteracts this complex matter with its untouchable colour and simple form. As an artist, I started working with different blues, and the depth of Prussian Blue became the closest to capturing the feelings as described above. One of the most beautiful colourful contrasts between sky and Earth is when it is met by red rock and powerful earthly formations. One of the pockets of Earth where this is particularly accentuated is a place I visit often, the Cederberg, as part of the Cape Supergroup.

What it means to be African:
To be African is to live in a beautiful, harsh world of dichotomy. To touch powerful soil and explosive landscapes lightly, to love and to fear it slightly. To be forever excited and concerned at the limitless possibilities. It is a place where there is no choice as to feel deeply and 100 per cent alive.

Biography:

Renée Rossouw is a Cape Town-based architect and artist.

Her work focusses on colour, geometries and patterns, which she thinks were originally inspired by the Lego sets of the 1980s and a gigantic flag atlas her parents gave her for her seventh birthday called It’s a Big Big World.

In 2013, Rossouw started her own studio where she creates original, bold and geometric patterns, which are applied to a variety of mediums and spaces, often working with various collaborators and product houses.

Renee Rossouw Studio patterns are designed through the exploration of different creative processes, which are as important as the final outcome. Her work as been showcased at the Venice Biennale, Madrid Art Fair, Design Indaba Expo and The Milan Furniture Fair.

A former Design Indaba Emerging Creative, Renee collaborated with Design Indaba again as part of the designers working with IKEA on the Overallt collection.