“I find it easiest to start a painting with a narrative in mind. So the lives of the people I paint are what draws me to representing them. I hope that their familiarity also gives the work another layer of intrigue. For example Mr. Showerhead is based on an image of Jacob Zuma and was painted before he became the president of South Africa. The title comes from an infamous South African cartoon which mockingly portrayed every image of Zuma with a shower attached to the top of his head. This was in response to comments he made in court regarding reducing the risk of HIV Aids by showering after intercourse with an infected partner. The painting makes him look like a strange kind of magician or clown figure, and the background is almost flag-like (with the ANC colours being used).”