LIZE KRÜGER | TWO SERIES

Growth, Mental Health, Loss, And Survival

Despite having experienced the worst of losses in my life,
I still see and experience it as a sacred journey.

And as Caroline Adams says: “It is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. You are on the path…
exactly where you are meant to be right now… And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power,
of dignity, and of love.”

LIZE KRÜGER

Lize Krüger was born and educated in South Africa, where she obtained a BA degree in Fine Art.
As a third and fourth-year student, she won the Gregoire Boonzaaier Prize for her major subject, painting. She had numerous Solo Exhibitions and took part in various Group Exhibitions. She also taught art classes at a facility for under 18 rape victims and at a facility for quadriplegic patients.
In 2014, she relocated to the UK and resumed her art career after a ten-year silence.
Her most recent big project was a commission by the directors of The Lost Gardens of Heligan for the 2018 Centenary Celebrations, and her work has been featured in numerous international publications, including at the 123ArtMagazine, ART&BEYOND magazine, PARTICIPATED IN THE 3RD and at the ANNUAL WOMEN ARTISTS 15th Quarterly Art Competition Online Juried Art Exhibition, amongst others. Krüger has also been invited to exhibit at the COLORIDA gallery in Lisbon from December 4th – 17th December 2021.

I see my art as a major means of communication.
Due to circumstances, I developed a very real problem with remembering words and battling to string a proper sentence together. I rely heavily on the works to convey powerful messages without alienating my audience.
I’m always curious about’ man’ and his/ her thought processes. I prefer to delve deep into humans’ psyche, but despite that, I always try to seek and find meaning and beauty in the most painful situations and darkest nights of our existence.
Current issues of the day, addressing injustice, creating awareness about certain aspects of life, for instance, mental health, abuse, fear, angst, loss, and grief, are all issues that I aim to convey in my work.
I feel passionate about the global refugee crisis, the increasing suicide rate, intolerance, and the threat of the global rising of fascism. In other words, mostly about the human condition, regardless of age, race, culture, or religion.
I need to give it an image, make it concrete. I want to confront my viewer without scaring him/her away.
It is usually seen as depressing topics or themes by the general public. To me, it is part of life.
I aim to turn this unspeakable and unapproachable topic into Life-and Love-affirming works. Because we cannot separate ourselves from our environment and other sentient beings,
I usually look for parallels in our co-existence with nature and search for the lessons and the wisdom we can find there.
I find it very satisfying to use animal symbolism to confirm the synergy between different worlds.”

ON WAR, REFUGEES, INJUSTICE, AND ABANDONED CHILDREN.

At least two million children have died in the last 10 years due to wars started by adults, whether they were civilian targets or whether they were killed in combat as child soldiers.
The number of children wounded or disabled is three times larger, and there are even more suffering from sicknesses, malnutrition, sexual violence, and the hardships of flight. Countless children have been confronted with the anguish of losing their home, their belongings, and those close to them.
In such conditions, practically all the necessary constants for child development are seriously disrupted, and the psychological damages of armed conflicts are incalculable.

Even though wars also affect adults, children are unfortunately too often the direct but powerless victims of the horrors committed against their family and humanity in general.

“Lize’s art expresses what even the most eloquent linguist battles to convey.
Her work reaches the dark recesses of my own sorrow, my joy, mear, dreamland, and yes,
by embracing that vulnerability,
I feel less alone.” – Zelda Nel Bezuidenhout (WRITER)

Read the full article on Art Market Magazine Issue #53