Tronkvoel - Solo Exhibition by Brunn Kramer
Published 10 August 2021 in Press
Aspire Lifestyle
YOUNG SOUTH AFRICAN
ARTIST’S WORK SHINES A LIGHT ON DEPRESSION,
HOMOSEXUALITY & PREJUDICE
A young artist is making waves, both locally and internationally, with his
latest body of evocative work which shines a light on his experience with
depression and growing up as a gay child in a conservative community.
“I explore the intersection of gender-based issues, homophobia and religious
prejudice that is based on my lived experiences in an attempt to understand my
struggles with depression, and communicate the complex prejudices I endure in
my daily life,” says Brünn
Kramer, who will be exhibiting at the RK Contemporary art
gallery in Riebeek Kasteel from 8 – 29 August 2021.
Born in 1994 and raised in
the small karoo town of Steytlerville, Brünn completed his Bachelors of Fine
Arts degree at Nelson Mandela University and is currently underway in
completing his Masters in Fine Arts at Rhodes University this year and has
participated in numerous group exhibitions all over South Africa, including the
prestigious Turbine Art Fair. His portraits, which explore the humanness of
ex-prisoners, were also selected for the Sasol New Signatures top 100 art
competition in 2016 and 2017.
Brünn’s art explores mental health, and his latest work and exhibition –
entitled “Tronkvoël” – is a continuation from his previous research and
practical work on prison culture.
“My previous work explored social issues in relation to prisoners and ex-prisoners. My current work stems from a more personal
experience from when I was diagnosed with depression.”
Brünn explains that being diagnosed with Major Depressive
Disorder in 2018 and his experiences with depression led to feelings of utter
despair and a peculiar isolation, which triggered a feeling of imprisonment. “Through my art I explore a theme of
depression feeling like a self-constructed prison. I aim to shed a new light on society’s
perspectives on mental health-related illnesses, as this too is often seen as
taboo - particularly in communities of colour”. Brünn, who works in a
variety of mediums, including charcoal, photographic transfers, paint and
linocuts - with a combination of burning and smoking techniques using candle
soot - harnesses old family photographs as well as recently captured selfies in
his art works and incorporates objects from childhood games such as glass
marbles, with prison objects like paper mâché dice and shivs.
Astrid McLeod, owner and curator of RK Contemporary, says that she is excited
to have Brünn
exhibiting at the gallery once again – this time as
a solo exhibition. “Brünn
Kramer is a rising star and has been a name to
watch for some time now. Not only this –
but the man himself seeks to challenge the norm and to do things differently –
this is an ethos shared by RK Contemporary.”
“Artists engage more now
on social issues that affect humanity, from climate change and politics to
mental health, whereas if you look at art history there were a lot more
landscapes and portraiture than where the focus is now. Art should do more than just be
there to beautify a space but should be used as a platform to engage society
and allow people to see things from a different perspective. Brünn’s work does both,” says McLeod