b"A portrait of the artist in her studio (Ekurhuleni, Springs, Johannesburg)Image: TJ McGurkMariapaola McGurkFrom Control to Chaos #1Hand cut archival paper, deep black 90gsm, 20221000mm x 700mmand light up our world. This body of work is a reminder of that, and a reminder that without the darkness we cannot experience the light. Please read on for the full artists statement. For Mariapaola, being invited as the commissioned artist is a deeply humbling experience that means a lot to her and her own commitment to being an artist. She also wants to use the moment to truly acknowledge the achievements being celebrated. We often enjoy these moments and then rush on to the next thing; I hope the works will serve as a prompt to these winners to truly internalise their remarkable achievement. Just resting a while with the knowledge that they are enough. Mariapaola has been working within the creative economy for over twenty years. As a twenty-one-year-old visual arts graduate, her goal was to be an artist. Over the past two decades she has explored a variety of roles, but the thread has always been visual arts. Those roles include curator, entrepreneur, client liaison for commercial arts, lecturer, and facilitator. She believes this has MARIAPAOLA MCGURK IS theincreasing economic uncertainty and bigcontributed to her growth and development commissioned artist for the 25th Annualquestions about the future. Despite this,within the sector.BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard. She hasthese partnerships persevered to produceBASA CEO, Ashraf Johaardien, says been commissioned to create the artworksastonishing and important work, literallyMariapaola is an interesting artist who for this years winning business and artshining through the darkness of the times.has been on both sides of the arts/business partnerships. This is tradition with a legacyMariapaola has reflected this tenacitypartnership, Her unique position brings that dates back to the founding of the Awards.through a series of works exclusive to thea lot of empathy to the creation of these Mariapaola is a visual artist working inBASA Awards, entitled A Mothers Window:awards and her beautiful and deeply Gauteng and has herself been a BASA AwardFinding the Light. The inspiration for themeaningful expression of the contrasting winner (three times through her businessworks was taken from a moment steepedstates of light and dark will no doubt be an The Coloured Cube). She holds an Honoursin darkness and tragedy but the works thatongoing reminder to the winners of the year cum laude in Visual Arts from the Universityemerged play with light pouring throughthey triumphed over adversity.SQUAREof Johannesburg and an Executive MBA froma window, showing a brighter world just Henley Business School. In recent years,outside. For Mariapaola the works come Mariapaola has consciously scaled downfrom a global place of darkness and the her life and moved out of the city to focusimportance of looking out, into light, for more fully on her own creative work. Herhope and growth.SASCHA POLKEY is passionate chosen material is paper-cutting; a form thatThis series speaks to the power ofabout the patterns and she says has taught her to slow down andmemory, roots, place, and nurturing thatconsequences at the work mindfully, bringing her own life a deepcan help us find the light in times of trouble.intersection of communication sense of calm and an awareness of patterns,Through A Mother's Window is a reminderand human behaviour. She is a communications strategist, structures and the ways in which things arethat finding the light often means going backPR, content creator and connected. to our roots and to what we have alreadycommunications coach and she This years BASA Awards acknowledgeslearnt and with that, finding the strengthworks with organisations and people who lead in creativity arts and business collaborations thatto 'go outside' to where the light is. We alland change.took place in 2021. It was a particularlyhave stories and people of strength that have difficult year, as South Africans facedoffered us guidance and mothered us so that fluctuating levels of COVID lockdowns, riots,we can step into the unknown, take chances 7"