Tracey Thornton

Dawn Awakening

Elephant in the Room, 2020. Mixed Media: Makalani nut piths and wire Fillipus Sheehama's latest large-scale sculptural textiles have grown out of...

Dominance, 2021. Mixed Media: Makalani nut piths, plastic and metal Fillipus Sheehama's latest large-scale sculptural textiles have grown out of an exploration of recycled materials and their link to overconsumption. The materials are sourced from under-maintained and largely impoverished areas of Namibia. His artistic process has evolved to incorporate organic waste materials. Indigenous makalani fruits are often used as a food source and to brew alcohol. In these works the discarded makalani piths are cut in half and hand-stitched together alongside flattened metal bottle caps and shards of animal bone. The use of these discarded materials also points to the agricultural processes that sustain subsistence farmers. Sheehama highlights issues of land (re)distribution as years of Apartheid and colonialism carved up and cut off access to much of the arable land in Namibia, leaving the majority of the population scrambling for resources. The patchwork of different materials and textures speaks to the segregation of land and people, and the need to use our natural resources and knowledge to unify for a more just and fair society. Each artwork is both a reflection of society as well as a critique of contemporary living. He is preoccupied with ideas of wholeness, thinking about the relationship between individual and collective identity. The materials he chooses to use en masse- discarded bottle tops, plastics, old school desks...

Rural Transformation, 2021. Mixed Media: Makalani nut piths and wire Fillipus Sheehama's latest large-scale sculptural textiles have grown out of an exploration of recycled material...

Nurture (Imbalance), 2021. Mixed media: makalani nut piths, plastic, bottle caps, metal Fillipus Sheehama's latest large-scale sculptural textiles have grown out of an exploration of recycled materials and their link to overconsumption. The materials are sourced from under-maintained and largely impoverished areas of Namibia. His artistic process has evolved to incorporate organic waste materials. Indigenous makalani fruits are often used as a food source and to brew alcohol. In these works the discarded makalani piths are cut in half and hand-stitched together alongside flattened metal bottle caps and shards of animal bone. The use of these discarded materials also points to the agricultural processes that sustain subsistence farmers. Sheehama highlights issues of land (re)distribution as years of Apartheid and colonialism carved up and cut off access to much of the arable land in Namibia, leaving the majority of the population scrambling for resources. The patchwork of different materials and textures speaks to the segregation of land and people, and the need to use our natural resources and knowledge to unify for a more just and fair society. Each artwork is both a reflection of society as well as a critique of contemporary living. He is preoccupied with ideas of wholeness, thinking about the relationship between individual and collective identity. The materials he chooses to use en masse- discarded bottle tops, plastics, old school desks...

Migration Distressed, Throughout Invisible Movement, 2020. Mixed media: digital print and vinyl sticker collage Namibian mixed media artist Fillipus Sheehama often constructs artworks using recycled and found materials which he uses to explore issues relating to social and economic inequality. Sheehama’s work is grounded in observation. Each artwork is both a reflection of society as well as a critique of contemporary living. He is preoccupied with ideas of wholeness, thinking about the relationship between individual and collective identity. The materials he chooses to use en masse- discarded bottle tops, plastics, old school desks...

Integration, 2017. Mixed media (plastics) Namibian mixed media artist Fillipus Sheehama often constructs artworks using recycled and found materials which he uses to explore issues relating to social and economic inequality. Sheehama’s work is grounded in observation. Each artwork is both a reflection of society as well as a critique of contemporary living. He is preoccupied with ideas of wholeness, thinking about the relationship between individual and collective identity. The materials he chooses to use en masse- discarded bottle tops, plastics, old school desks...