Simon Attwood (b.1997) is a young artist interested in the plants, trees, wild animals and landscapes of Mpumalanga. Attwood collects skulls, snares and skeletons of animals found during anti-poaching work and includes them in his subject matter. He has a keen interest in the indigenous plants and trees of Ehlanzeni which strongly inform his imagery.
He engages with a variety of media including works on paper, charcoal-making, bronzes, fibres, animations and paintings. Linocut is his favourite printmaking technique. He has returned to and developed his use of the medium since first getting excited about it in high school.
He completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio (with distinction) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA in 2022.
Attwood has exhibited work locally and internationally in the SAIC FALL 2021 Undergraduate Exhibition, Artbash 2018 in Chicago, USA and the Diaspora exhibition at the White River Gallery in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
"I use a layering of symbols and iconography to conceive images that dig into my visceral subconscious digestion of the places that I inhabit. My artworks have become a space alchemy where blending of the human and animal is possible, and where trees bear witness to the flow of time." - Simon Attwood
