Offender

Large, raw and expressive charcoal drawings in contrast with small, colourful and eccentric oil paintings. Two artists with the same starting point: mug shots. These photos are collected from police archives but (intentional or unintentionally) often distributed by the media. The result could not be further apart.

There are many differences between the artists and their intentions. Benine du Toit was born into a conservative society in South Africa. She uses her work as a platform to critique and make sense of the social, political and racial tensions in her native country. She deliberately takes a stance against those portrayed; these are criminals.

Roderick Laperdrix was born into a liberal environment in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, the Netherlands. He tries to portray the subjects he paints without judgement. With humor he lures the viewer to the work. The narrative is filled in quickly; the viewer caught in his own prejudices.

Humor versus bitter seriousness.

Du Toit and Laperdrix met in 2018 at the Cultural Hotspot, De Nijverheid, where they rent adjacent ateliers.

www.rodericklaperdrix.nl

www.beninedutoit.com