North Gallery

A SEASON OF FEATHERED FRIENDS

2 December to 14 December 2023
 
“On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree… two turtle doves… three French hens… four calling birds… six geese… seven swans…”
 
The Association of Arts Pretoria asked several artists to depict birds for a Christmas exhibition.  These colourful, exciting and varied paintings and sculptures will be on display as from Saturday 2 December 2023.
 
The guidelines to the artists were the following -  There are various symbolic meanings to birds:  the robin represents spring and rebirth, it also symbolises compassion; the white dove is a well-known symbol of peace; a pair of white doves is a common symbol of love and devotion; the owl is known for wisdom, as portrayed in so many children's stories and cartoons; the nightingale represents yearning and pain and in Christianity the longing for heaven; the raven is a metaphor for intelligence, often depicting things we really prefer not to hear; the stork is still associated with the birth of a baby and the swan symbolises transformation (ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan) and it also represents loyalty and fidelity.
 
This exhibition is ideally suited for the time of year and also a perfect opportunity to bring along children and expose them to the wonderful world of art.