ESTHER SIMONIS

ESTHER SIMONIS | Overlay of the Past with the Present

The link between art and archaeology has always been intuitive for me, even from a young age. I recall having found great pleasure in creating deep cave-like crypts with blankets. Later as an adult whilst traveling internationally, I found myself drawn to archaeological sites in various countries. Archaeology was also a subject I included as part of my Fine Art degree studies.

I intended to employ the archaeological method as an analogy for the creative process – the artist and the archaeologist share a parallel vision. The purpose of archaeology is to study the early human past, using the only evidence available to us. The material remains of that past are then interpreted by the artist according to his/her insight. The process requires active engagement with the landscape and the history that informs it. This exploration and preservation of the site became the practical component of my study.
In this way, another layer was developed to cover the existing layer of artifacts and fragments of previous settlements.

I moved my ‘studio’ underground as well as above ground and found my roots, so to speak.
The artist, much like the archaeologist, is digging through past individual experiences to reveal layers and segments of collective and personal history. The archaeological process is conceived as an intimate dialogue with the past.

The painstaking process of removing soil, sediment, or rock that covers artifacts and brushing it away, results in the thrill of discovery for the artist and the archaeologist alike.

ESTHER SIMONIS

I was born in the Western Cape town called Riebeeck-Wes in South Africa. My grandparents farmed at the famous wine farm Allesverloren, at the foot of the Riebeeck mountain. I was always surrounded by nature’s beauty on that farm. Later visits to the farm on holidays with the steam train, were the highlights for my sister and me when we were young. City life could never compare to picking olives for the market, swimming for hours in the big farm dam, nor inspecting your stocking for Christmas presents.
I was brought up in a very creative family. The creative spark that enthused my art direction, though, was brought about by my grandmother Daisy. It all started when she gave me a colorful painting of the world-famous artist, Hendrik Pierneef, for my birthday.
My studies at University started later in life, after raising five kids with my husband. It was a daunting experience, to say the least. Most of my fellow students came from art schools, and I was still a novice, competing with those well-established artists.

I had to work hard, and the University was an hour’s drive from home. However, I received my Bachelor and Honors Degrees under the maestro’s hand of John Clarke. After more years and lots of encouragement from my lecturers, peers, and family, I also received my Master’s Degree (Visual Arts) from the University of South Africa.