Tainted

Justine Mahoney‘s solo exhibition, Tainted, presents a series of 10 bronze sculptures, each partnered with a digital collage print; visual studies of the jostling schizophrenia that exists between the apparent playful façades and the quiet darkness lurking beneath the surface.

Every bronze figure is sculpted, cast and hand-painted by Mahoney – offered as an edition of nine. Each paired collage offers an inspired view into the artist’s mind; pieced-together fantasies exploring Mahoney’s observations of gender, landscape, aspiration and oppression – many, an amalgamation of stories told to her by her stay-at-home nanny, Lizzy Maema, during her childhood.

Mahoney’s fascination with fantasy, child’s play and imagination, overlaid with the sinister realities of our society, make up the overarching theme in her work. “As Mahoney’s confidence as an artist grows, her subject matter becomes more enticing and thought-provoking, reflecting South African culture in a dark mirror,” says Southern Guild co-founder, Julian McGowan. “This exhibition takes you to a familiar but unsettling place – it’s Malice in Wonderland.”