The cannibal’s congress: mother tongue developed while I was working on the large drawing. Feeling frustrated with the controlled and time consuming layering technique, I created the cannibal’s congress: mother tongue as a counterpoint to explore more expressive and gestural drawing. Using acrylic paint with charcoal and pastel I placed the drawing on the floor, standing and sitting on top of it while I worked. Thematically I considered the notion of language as an ideological construct and a socio-political tool.

Isabelle Grobler