PORTRAIT OF PASSION

BY GRANT OXCHE

Portrait of passion by Grant Oxche | Oil on canvas | 100cm x 100cm.

Passion, a model of Ethiopian and Ghanaian descent, is admired not only for her striking beauty and penetrating gaze, but also for her deep commitment to children’s rights. Her personal experiences and heartfelt reflections on the hopes and potential of young people have inspired many who have encountered her story. She believes that while one person cannot change the world alone, positively impacting even a single life gives true meaning to our existence.

These humanitarian values became the inspiration for the portrait created by Grant as part of a limited edition project. Passion immediately connected with the work and acquired the first painting for her personal collection. A second oil on canvas — distinguished by a different necklace — was later produced.

We are proud to present this refined and meaningful work, “Portrait of Passion” which celebrates both her captivating presence and her strength of purpose.

MORE ABOUT GRANT OXCHE:

Grant Oxche was born in 1977 on the Cape Flats.  After he matriculated, he studied Graphic Design at The Cape College. The reason Grant chooses African portraits as his subject matter, is because for him they represent a deeper sense of hurt and sorrow because of past apartheid in South Africa. Human sadness is also significant to him because he feels that he can relate to it because of experiences in his life.  His paintings show an interest of light and colour which is why he was influenced by artists such as Vermeer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Turner, van Gogh and Monet. He is influenced by the principles of Chiaroscuro because it gives the paintings a greater emotional intensity.   

For him the utmost important thing is to capture the essence of a human being in his paintings.  He feels that his paintings must transcend just being a picture and become something more than that.  He wants his subjects to seem alive and breathing.  This is why he pays particular attention to the eyes in a portrait, because it is the eyes that are the window to the soul, which must have a fire of life in them to show that the subject is alive.  

Grant is working for The African Portrait Art Gallery.  This allows him to concentrate on developing his artistic skills which in turn creates financial stability and exposes his work locally, nationally and internationally.