The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
Gareth Hook has dedicated his time to creating paintings and drawings that tell a Zimbabwean tourism story, focusing on wildlife and the general environment.
| With subjects ranging from the Big Five to the tiniest of insects, his art speaks volumes about the diversity of this land that is our home. |
Last week he held a successful exhibition, “African Dreams II” at The Venue in Avondale, Harare and half of the paintings on show were sold within an hour of opening.
Art collectors undersood the value of the work as they scrambled for the paintings that ranged from US$300 to as much as US$2 800.
Some of the animals captured in the captivating pieces include elephants, buffalo, leopards, giraffes, lions, zebras and dung beetles.
Hook shed more light on his work when he spoke to this writer on the side lines of the exhibition.
“There are 35 pieces on show, with about 70 percent of them being oil and canvas while the others are pencil, which are black and white pieces,” explained Hook.
“The theme is ‘African Dreams’, which is basically a depiction of scenes I have seen in the bush myself and recreating it on canvas and on paper with the hope that people will like it. If I see a photograph of a lion walking away, I just ask myself how I can make it better, what background should I use, the lighting and other elements.
“From there I try to look at various other photographs and think about things I would have seen and I try to compose the whole picture together with my other ideas.”
Hook is inspired by the natural environment he grew up surrounded with. His appreciation of nature is not only visible through his art but as he narrates his tale.
“I grew up around wildlife, I love wildlife and I love spending time in the bush so it’s just a natural progression for me to paint what I love from what I have seen. In my paintings, I try to showcase wildlife in a creative manner so that the next person will also appreciate the beauty that is out there in the wild.”
The creation of a painting is a process that includes a lot of creativity, concentration and patience as highlighted by the artiste.
“It can take me up to three to four weeks to come up with a single painting with animals like elephants being the hardest because of all the wrinkles and other details that need delicate attention.”
The 31-year-old is also a philanthropist, making use of his talents to help finance conservation initiatives. He often donates some of his work to fundraisers, charities and related causes.
“For example, if people who are trying to help with rhino anti-poaching have a fundraiser, I will give them a piece of artwork, they auction it and whatever money they get is used for that initiative,” said Hook.
He also donates to charities that are not wildlife-related, with some of them catering for disadvantaged children.
Hook grew up on a farm in Mutorashanga, spending many school holidays exploring the bush around him. He has been painting and drawing from age 15 but he only turned professional seven years ago.
“I grew up around a wildlife artiste, Craig Bone, who is now based in the United States, and basically he got me on the path. I used to go and watch him paint when I was very young and he got me drawing, then eventually I started painting,” he said.
At high school at St George’s College, Hook continued his love affair with art; and then did a Fine Art degree at Rhodes University in South Africa, earning a distinction in Studio Practice.
