Dawid Ras
Art in Johannesburg

Some of the figures are robed in animal skin which points to a precarious position of being hunter as well as the hunted. This tension is echoed in the strong sculptural element and 3D quality of McKean’s work, creating a sense of depth on the flat surface of paper and canvas. This exhibition, Daydreams in Transition, Cheesman’s first solo show, consists of a number of large-scale paintings in acrylic on canvas. Visually Cheesman’s work is generally concerned with the use and contrast of colours, with a cool/cold layering in production and a negotiation of abstraction. The works produced within this practice hover between a studied minimalism and an often off-centre kitsch along with interactions and interrogations of the perceived exotic. Through his work Cheeseman expresses an interest in spaces and how they are constructed, how people move through these spaces and how movements could possibly be altered or reflected on. This fascination extends to the construction of images, and how they could be represented and altered, both visually and historically. Both these artists are 27 years old and going places. Dawid Ras acquired his first painting in 1976 in Bloemfontein where he studied psychology at the University of the Free State. In 1979 he moved to Cape Town where the art scene was boisterous. He attended numerous exhibitions and became a long serving member on the Council of the Friends of the National Gallery. In 1982 he completed his MBA at the Business School of the University of Stellenbosch. He decided to sell some of his works to buy others. This was done in the form of small exhibitions, at home, in collaboration with either an artist or a gallery, every first weekend of the month. An attorney friend invited Dawid to become a business partner in an art gallery in Johannesburg. He puts exhibitions together for different galleries, places and spaces across South Africa and sources unique pieces for his clients.