Dayna-Gay Tate

“Stories from a daily ritual of colour-wandering”

Dayna-Gay Tate is a Zimbabwean-South African born in 1994. She is an emerging artist and visual storyteller whose work finds its home at the intersection of painting, design, photography, and poetry.

She graduated Cum Laude from Stellenbosch University in 2017, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Communication Design. Her work has been included in various exhibitions in Cape Town since then, and she practices from her home studio in Cape Town, South Africa.

Embarking on a daily exploration of colour and form, Dayna-Gay’s artistic practice is a joyful one. Themes of nature, home, relationship, light, and time are recurring motifs in her work. She aims to inspire rest, slowness, joy, playfulness, and reconnection. At the core of her practice, you will find her faith in God, vulnerability, and a love for storytelling.

Proficient in various creative mediums, Dayna-Gay draws inspiration from the interplay of multiple artistic techniques. Collaboration, superimposition, memory, and movement further guide her practice.

Her artworks often embody playful abstraction, exploring the shapes and colours found in Creation. Drawing from her imagination and layers of memory, Dayna-Gay often paints places she has never physically visited, expressing a longing for the deep rest offered by the garden and untouched landscape.

Intentional abstraction of traditional techniques, styles, and subjects is a vital aspect of her work. This approach challenges viewers and invites them to engage deeply and interpret freely. Dayna-Gay’s art speaks without claiming finality; instead, it offers invitations to pause, embrace gratitude, and resist the rush towards the next endeavour.