LIONEL
SMIT
A E S T H E T I C :
"My style is loosely based around the idea of
creating classical figurative forms, mostly portraits,
in a contemporary way."
I N S P I R A T I O N :
"I have drawn quite a lot of inspiration from African
sculptures, like the Benin heads, to other sculptors
like Michelangelo and Rodin. I've drawn most of
my inspiration from the Cape Malay community in
Cape Town, that is a mixed-race cultural group—I
think this has become my iconography."
P R O C E S S :
"My approach to sculpture is influenced by my
painting process, in terms of adding layers of clay
to the sculpture as I would add layers of paint to a
painting. At times, when I work with wax, I would
heat it up and pour it over the sculpture to recreate
the idea of drips (as I would in my paintings).
e surface becomes important to me—from
the texture to the color. I like to experiment with
different patina colors."
C A P E T O W N , S O U T H A F R I C A
VUE ON ART
V U E N J . C O M
64
