Art | Three of the Seven
A painting by Joe Turpin
Three of the Seven continues my recent interest in mythology, this time focusing on my recollections of a Zulu legend from a book of South African myths and legends read to me as a child.
A Zulu King, who left their kingdom in order to find six of the King’s other sons who had previously left and not returned. The son encounters a band of cannibals on his search, but escapes to find six caged birds that were in the huts of the cannibals.
I remember the illustrations, and the birds were a marvellous green colour. The birds turned out to be the Kings sons, and they had the ability to transform into these aves. It is an example of a mythology that employs Therianthropy, which is the ability for human beings to transform, without any sort of curse at all, into animals of any sort. I really enjoyed finding out that there is a word for that, so that is the text written on the work.
I envisioned these birds from memory, and painted three of them, the other four birds being represented in silk tassels I have begun using since graduating from art school and expanding my painting practice with different elements. Are what we look at birds, or people? Or just paint on canvas?
Joe Turpin is a South African visual artist. Born in Johannesburg in 1995, my practice focuses on historically charged & informed narratives and semiotics, and the physical expansion of painting as practice. Turpin graduated from the University of the Witwatersand in 2018 with a degree (BA Hons) in Fine Art, and has shown two independent solo exhibition projects in Johannesburg, as well as participated in a variety of group exhibitions internationally, and has been featured in various online and printed publications.
Find more of Joe Turpin’s work at the links below:
Instagram: @joegturpin
Twitter: @joeturpinjoey
Facebook: ArtJoeTurpin
