Have you ever experienced the anxiety-filled situation where you have to be at a certain place at a certain time, but cannot find any legal parking space to avoid a fine? Where you have to consider the option to park a bit further away from your desired destination but face the risk of being late, the possibility of theft, or harassment?

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Students and others who need to attend at Hatfield campus experience these situations every day.

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The watercolour paintings as well as the paper folded “fortuinvertellers” within this series, represent a watered-down, child-like and comedic narrative of the parking problem on Hatfield campus. The paintings are represented to situate the surrounding area of the University of Pretoria’s Hatfield campus. The reason I display the consequences of the parking problem in such a light way, is to emphasise the scale of importance it has to the University of Pretoria, as serious situations within the paintings are portrayed in unserious mannerisms. South Africa is also known to use humour in very serious and emotionally-laden situations. I therefore play on this South African tool to highlight the seriousness of the matter.

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During the Covid-19 lockdown, I was inspired by the sudden influx of wild animals that were roaming the streets. Thus, it made me realise that the area around Hatfield campus is equivalent to an ‘animal kingdom’, where it is almost a case of ‘survival of the fittest’. Therefore, each animal represents a certain character who plays a key role within the parking problem around Hatfield campus. Each character is determined by the animal’s distinctive personality and characteristics.

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Essentially, the goal is for the viewer to recognise the irony which is represented by the series of artworks, as serious problems have consequences when it is not deemed important by an institution which one would expect to be aware and in control.