Zandri Oosthuysen
In my work, I explore mortality and death. My work reflects my interest in memento mori – the Latin phrase meaning ‘remember you will die’. This subject, closely related to Vanitas still life, was prevalent during the Baroque. The genre featured symbols pointing to mortality - encouraging reflection on the transience of life. Rather than illustrating typical human skulls, I refer to animal remains – specifically skulls, flesh and bones. This fascination stems from processing my own mortality.
I am mesmerised by animal remains, their varying textures and forms. Through repetitive study, I use their remains as a still life to contemplate mortality. As the animal remains decay, so too will my body decay in death – we are flesh and bones. I therefore use their remains as mirroring our mortality.
Through this, I attempt to make sense of death - the finality of it, ceasing to exist. I’m also interested in the significance of ‘remains’ - that what remains after death, that what we associated with life, is now lifeless.
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