If you missed the chance to see Ros' latest work made with red wine, here's another opportunity: the Stellenbosch Art Association's annual Members' exhibition at Oude Libertas Gallery in Stellenbosch.

About the two artworks by Ros Koch:

Ros first started experimenting with wine as a medium when she was invited to enter the annual Wine Made Art competition run by a local wine estate in 2013. The artworks she has on display at Oude Libertas are likewise made using wine as it lends itself to the themes she has chosen to explore.

“Looking back” catches a young ballerina, musing on her past performances. The composition hints at her fond memories but is also tinged with sadness, acknowledging the fleeting nature of a dancer’s career. The figure is intentionally incomplete, intimating how age frays each of us at the edges, and – in the case of a dancer – emphasising the importance of the legs by their conspicuous absence. The use of red wine as a medium is similarly intended to alert the viewer to the truth that each of us slowly fades over time.

“Joining the dots” was inspired by Ros’ passion for children and their innate creativity. At a very young age, a child’s brain is made up of twice as many synapses as it has in adulthood. These surplus connections are gradually eliminated throughout childhood and adolescence. Like the wine used to portray them, these connections fade away. Early experiences – both positive and negative – influence the extent to which various synapses are strengthened or lost. Sometimes children with restless minds and bodies, far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity, are ignored or even stigmatised, with terrible consequences. Traditional schooling, and society in general, often ends up educating children out of their creativity.