ARTIST, WORDSMITH AND COLLECTOR.
As a maker, Alan credits his sense of curiosity and constant wonder at this beautiful and imperfect world we call home as his most valued asset. He relishes exploring different ways of making and enjoys combining unrelated disciplines in his work. Inspiration is to be found everywhere – in nature, in music, ancient history, stories and legends.
His work is unapologetically decorative. He credits his mysterious Muse for his love of all things beautiful. With an ever-evolving creative mind, he has made friends with several media. Alan paints in oil and acrylic; makes sculptural jewellery in silver, vitreous enamel on silver and copper, and also ceramic.
The art and culture of Asia has held a lifelong fascination. His best friend of many years and doyenne of Japanese art in South Africa, Bernie Stanko, taught him to restore and remount vintage and antique Japanese scroll and screen paintings on rigid supports. This makes them easier to display in Western interiors, while retaining their traditional aesthetic.
In his Western-style oil and acrylic paintings, he strives to evoke a sense calm and, as in his flower paintings, the subject is treated almost as one would an individual portrait.
Painting in the Asian style is pure joy and here much of his work is based on the Japanese Rinpa style, sometimes on gold leaf backgrounds and almost always featuring flowers as subjects.
Having discovered the alchemical magic of precious metal clay a few years ago, Alan rediscovered another passion, dormant for many years – jewellery-making. Here his skill as a miniature sculptor is given free reign and his jewels are often mounted as wall art in frames that open, allowing the owner to wear these miniature artworks.
Alan loves nothing more than travelling to the East, which he considers the wellspring of his creative inspiration. He has an enormous kimono and obi collection and is mad about Buddhas, lacquerware, Japanese tea ceramics and books, books, books.
Tel: 082 900-3607
Email: alan@alansamons.com
