AS TILONÈ THE BRAND CELEBRATES ITS FIFTH CYCLE I AM REMINDED OF ITS CHALLENGING YET REWARDING PATHS. IN REFLECTION, THIS CURATED BODY OF WORK DEPICTS A DEEPLY PERSONAL HOMAGE TO A RARE SENSE OF COMMUNITY I AM FORTUNATE TO BE A PART OF. 

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THIS COMMUNITY I EVOLVED. REMAINING IN A LINEAR SPACE WAS NOT AN OPTION. I UNDERSTOOD THAT REINVENTION IS KEY. BY FLAMING MY FIRE, THIS COMMUNITY GUIDED ME IN THE DIRECTION WHERE I NEEDED TO BE.  

THE INFINITE LIST OF INFLUENCERS AND CRUSADERS PROVIDED A PORTAL WHICH ENHANCED MY ABILITIES. MOST PROFOUNDLY, THIS COMMUNITY GAVE ME AN EXTENDED LEASE ON HOPE AND A SORT OF IMPAIRMENT TO SURROUNDING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE REMINDS ME OF TOMBLIKE HIEROGLYPHS. THOSE WHO FEAR SHAME, DIE. THESE INFLUENTIAL INDIVIDUALS SIMULTANEOUSLY CONNECT ME TO PAST LIVES, BURNT ME DOWN AND BROUGHT ME HOME, TO MYSELF. A PLACE OF MORAL BEAUTY THAT COEXISTS WITH STRIFE. 

BORN ON THE SHORES OF ADDINGTON BEACH, DURBAN IS MY HOME. THIS CITY AND ITS VAST COMMUNITIES TAUGHT ME THE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT AND THE ABILITY TO FIND LIGHT IN THE DARKEST OF SPACES.

TO ME, THE INFLUENCE OF COLLABORATION AND ITS VALUE SYSTEMS CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE TO A WORLD ON FIRE. IT UNDERSTANDS VULNERABILITIES AND DESIRES. IT SHARES THE LOAD OF THE HEAVY WEIGHT WITHIN. UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A COMMUNITY WE ULTIMATELY NEVER LOVE ALONE. 

I OFTEN WISH FOR DIFFERENT INFLUENCES - I AM REMINDED BY THE LATE ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY TO MAKE DO WITH THE HAND WE HAVE BEEN DELT. HE WAS A HERO IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY. HE WILL LIVE ON AS WE ARE ALL ALLOWED TO TAKE UP ETERNAL SPACE. 

BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS COMMUNITY HAS BROUGHT ME TO A SPACE WHERE I AM IN AWE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF BEAUTIFYING THE CHAOS OF LIFE. A SPACE WHERE I FEEL MOST ALIVE, LIBERATED AND AWAKE.

FEATURING COLLABORATIVE PIECES BY:

ANDRÉ SWART, CAROLE PAXTON, CHRIS SHEZI, KIARA DANDRIDGE, WENZILE, UGLY BRUV

09.05.2022

SKYLINE

155 GORDON ROAD

WINDERMERE 

DURBAN

4001 

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