PATRICK RULORE - Life in Darkness

PATRICK RULORE

Life in Darkness, behind the scenes of a solo exhibition.

Patrick Rulore was born in 1995 in Johannesburg. After he matriculated in 2013, Patrick started an art company producing art portraits. He completed his National Diploma at the Tshwane University of Technology in 2021. His work was selected to be part of the top 100 of the prestigious Sasol New Signatures competition, in both 2017 and 2018. He received a merit award in the Thami Mnyele Art Competition in 2018. In 2019, he was in the top 15 in the Thami Mnyele Art Competition, and he was the overall winner of the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition for his painting entitled Stage 4 Moments.

Patrick chatted to us about his upcoming solo exhibition, which will take place alongside the Sasol New Signatures 2021 exhibition from 11 November 2021 until 10January 2022 at the Pretoria Art Museum. Patrick began working on his solo exhibition straight after he was announced as the winner of Sasol New Signatures 2019, which formed part of his prize, along with R100 000.00.

Patrick has been delighted by the response he has received since winning the competition. He hopes to inspire other young artists wanting to follow their dreams of being recognised in the South African art arena.

The work he is creating for his solo exhibition forms part of his Stage 4 Moments series that captures typical moments in many South African households during load shedding. This series explores human connection against the black drop of an ephemeral world of light and shadow. He has used many light sources within his paintings, such as paraffin lamps, candles, fire and natural sunlight.

Winner 2019 Patrick Rulore

“In this solo exhibition, what is most important and what I want every viewer to pick up is the dominance of darkness that engulfs each piece. This body of work does not only focus on my family, but my community as well. “Life in darkness” simply means, I personally find more quality time, love and laughter in the brief moments of darkness,” he said. His work has allowed him to include the art

of photography in the process. “After making an appointment with local Hammanskraal families, I stand as a photographer, and I capture moments in those times of darkness. I then choose the best photograph with the following qualities; originality, good composition and colour balance. It takes 60 days to finish one painting, and I paint 2-3 paintings at the same time.” Patrick said of this winning the competition, “After winning this competition I suddenly became a role model around my school and art community as a whole. I have been greatly favoured by gallery owners and they are and still willing to work with me to develop my career further. I look forward to seeing the response to this exhibition when it opens in November”.

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