Biosketch
Micaelyn Traut, 24 years old, from Cape Town, South Africa. She started painting when she was 16 years old, she experimented with different mediums but generally settled on paint because she could manipulate it better than the other mediums, and she could layer the paint to create what she was looking for and could have expressive brush strokes. Growing up she didn't always have access to canvas, therefore, she would paint on cardboard, chipboard and playing cards and so on. She loved painting but never thought it could be a professional career, so she decided to go into filmmaking which is considered art as well. Now that she has experienced the film industry, she wants sees the opportunity to explore both her passions. Her pieces pieces conveys emotion, emotion in the brush strokes or smudges and dabs, emotion in the name, pose, face, eyes and colours. Her hope is that someone will connect with what she wants to express and relate to it
Artist Statement: “I never thought I could be resilient”
“I never thought I could be resilient” artist statement
When all is well you can’t help but have intrusive thoughts well at least for me, it is a form of ocd, so when I was younger I imagined my parents dying and it was so clear and real that I would start to get hot and sick, as if I was going to die too. This kept happening, so when I was much older, I was faced with the reality of my father being quite sick and possibly dying, which lead me on a path of how am I meant to survive this, am I going to die too - not only do I have mild ocd but I’m a hypochondriac (most of the time I think I’m dying/constantly worrying about my health). Once my dad passed I was surprised as to how okay I was, and I was the one to actually told him it is okay, he can let go, I’ll be alright, I’m not sure if I fully believe it then but I no longer wanted to see him in pain. A few hours later he passed away and then I definitely knew I was going to be okay, be resilient.
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 38cm x 76cm
Price:
Disappearing Dad
Artist Statement "Disappearing Dad"
My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, colon, liver, lungs and body cavities, hence the title disappearing dad, as I knew this was it, there was no coming back from it. I painted this for my dad while he was sick to lift his spirits. I hadn’t painted in 5 years, but something just overtook me and I wanted to paint, and when I painted this piece it just flew by, I can spend days, weeks on paintings but this took me less than one full day of painting, I doubt I would ever be able to do that again. When I showed it to my father, bare in mind I was 24 years old I had never experienced or seen my father cry until this moment, we embraced and he just started to sob, I was taken so aback by it but whenever I think of that moment I can’t help by well up with tears myself.
Sice: 101.5cm x 51cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Price:
Mom
Artist Statement: "Mom"
My wonderful mother, what would I do without her and what would she do without me. I couldn’t just paint a portrait of my father and not of my mother, they are each other’s other halves. They were both 50 when my father passed, they started dating at 19 years old, if that isn’t love, commitment and hard work then I have no idea, and she still continues to love him after death. I am grateful to have her in my life still.
Size: 101.5cm x 51cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Price:
Unrequited Love
Artist Statement: "Unrequited Love"
This one is more light hearted, it is pretty simple, when I was younger I had admired someone it lasted for roughly 2 years, and it was someone I had absolutely no business even talking to on a social level. I wouldn’t of said it was love until I learnt how to accept myself and having someone obviously point it out to me, I wish I remembered who made me realize it, by this time the 2 year period was over though. Anyway, it was unrequited I’m sure and being openly queer now, I think she may know I was into her.
Size: 75cm x 50cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Price: