"I use mathematics and perspective as a foundation, but I am equally interested in disrupting certainty. The absurd has a way of exposing truths that logic alone cannot reach."
Zolile Phetshane's practice extends beyond his well-known mixed media works into a sophisticated exploration of drawing, pastel, and mark making, where mathematics, proportion, and perspective become central conceptual tools. His compositions reveal a fascination with structure and order, often employing carefully constructed spatial relationships that guide the viewer through complex visual narratives. Yet within this precision, Phetshane introduces moments of disruption, creating worlds where logic and imagination coexist, and where the familiar is subtly transformed into something unexpected.
Working extensively in pastel, he demonstrates a remarkable sensitivity to colour, line, and surface. His figures and environments are often rendered with meticulous attention to proportion and perspective, reflecting an analytical approach to image making. However, these formal considerations are frequently interrupted by elements of the absurd or illogical. Figures may occupy impossible spaces, perspectives may shift unexpectedly, and ordinary objects may assume symbolic or surreal significance. This tension between order and disruption creates a dynamic visual language that challenges conventional ways of seeing.
Through this interplay of mathematical precision and imaginative invention, Phetshane invites viewers to question assumptions about reality, perception, and human experience. His works operate within a space where reason and intuition meet, balancing technical mastery with poetic ambiguity. The result is a body of work that is intellectually engaging and visually compelling, offering narratives that are at once deeply considered and delightfully unpredictable.