Rubedo

Fever of a dream Exhibition, DAOR Contemporary, 2024
Available through Ink Box Art Gallery, Cape Town

Rubedo, Oil on canvas, 51 x 101.5cm, 2023

Fever of a dream as a body of work is an exploration of Andrea Du Plessis’ interest in alchemy and life-long fascination with horses. The Oxford dictionary defines alchemy as “…the medieval forerunner of chemistry, concerned with the transmutation of matter, in particular with attempts to convert base metals into gold or find a universal elixir.”

Swiss psychoanalyst C.G. Jung (1875 – 1961) showed an interest in the internal nature of alchemy and drew correlations between its chemical workings and the process of self-actualization.

Drawing inspiration from the cryptic, pictorial world of alchemical illustrations and the complex symbolism of the horse, Du Plessis explores themes of inner evolution, the challenge that is integrating opposing, unconscious aspects of Self, and transforming the lead of earthly experience into soul’s gold.