What keeps me up at night

a solo exhibition by Jozua Gerrard

4  - 30 March 2021  

What keeps me up at night is an exhibition of paintings by nineteen year old Jozua Gerrard, an art school drop-out with will and drive. “I wanna be something big, i want to be one of the greats”.

Gerrard says that he was ten when he started realising that it was possible to make a living off being a creative. As he grew up he began to struggle more and more with his mental health and art became an escape. “I could pour out all of the feelings which I didn’t have the vocabulary to express, into these creations and it just gave me a new perspective on self-worth.”

Masked figures in minimalist settings form the bulk of this body of work. Though it pays homage to the presence of masks in some native cultures, it also refers to the idea that the mask transforms the wearer into something more than themselves. Its aura can be so overwhelming that the wearer will hide behind it in times of weakness, sometimes helping the wearer to have the edge to push through difficult situations they face.

“My art is made to connect the viewer with themselves just a little bit more than they would have if they hadn’t seen it.”

The exhibition consists of eight paintings and can be viewed at www.worldart./// from 3 March at 1pm. The paintings will also be available for viewing at the WORLDART gallery situated at 54 Church Street in the Cape town cbd from Thursday 4 March when the monthly Cape Town edition of First Thursdays takes place.

Jozua Gerrard (b. 2001) is a young creative who lives and works in Cape Town.

He enjoys painting and sculpture and his work generally reflects on his personal experiences in dealing with depression, anxiety and his journey in discovering his sexual identity.