Painter and printmaker Aviwe Plaatjie has been drawn to the visual arts since his childhood. His obvious talent as a child was nurtured by his mother and her employer who took him to part-time art classes at Frank Joubet Art Center. An avid commentator on his community through his identity-based paintings, his characters – friends, neighbours and family – are staged onto an often aspirational and imaginary background. Subjects might appear ‘dressed up’ but these often-simple garments appear sumptuous in the artist’s expertly malleable hands. His use of colour, texture and luxuriant attention to detail incorporating abstract backgrounds and patterns attend to his ability to weave a strong visual narrative.