Artist Joni-Leigh Doran honours the horses she has known and loved. Pictured is a work called Confidant.
Cognisance – An Exhibition of Equine Paintings by Joni-Leigh Doran will be hosted from Saturday January 8 until Sunday February 13 at La Galleria in the town of McGregor, about 150km outside Cape Town.
This body of work highlights the enduring but complex relationship between horses and humans.
“These paintings are an enquiry into the spirit of the horse, and the deep and historical interconnectedness between us and them. The ephemeral portrayal of them in these works accentuates the opposing circumstances that horses currently face in cohabitation with humans – transcendence and tribulation,” says Doran.
These paintings are Doran’s attempt to honour the horses she has known and loved. They all depict horses that she has known personally.
Doran works predominantly in the traditional medium of oil paint on canvas and linen.
Although formally trained as a graphic designer, she has been drawing and painting all her life and has worked with renowned South African artists such as Ryno Swart and Derek van Rensburg.
She has recently been accepted into the Florence Academy of Art based on her portfolio and will be travelling to Italy in the coming year to refine her skills and delve deeper into the techniques of the classical masters.
Animals and natural landscapes have always provided her with limitless inspiration and she aims to depict the beauty and fragility of the non-human world through her work. A percentage of the proceeds of all painting sales goes directly into funding wildlife conservation programmes.
Visit the event page for all the details of the exhibition and register to receive the catalogue: https://www.danisphotos.com/events/cognisance-an-exhibition-of-equine-paintings-by-joni-leigh-doran-1