Talitha Deetlefs is a self-taught sculptor who discovered art as a form of self-expression in her early years.
She could easily be found creating mud sculptures by the Vaaldam while her father went fishing. She attended Tshwane University of Technology expecting to become a painter, but her time working in the film industry as a faux fabricator rekindled her interest in sculpture.
Deetlefs accepted a position at an art foundry where she became familiar with all aspects of sculpture creation. Her body of work was well received when she started exhibiting in 2009 and her work can now be seen in selected galleries and collections worldwide.
She has focused predominantly on the female form as her subject, and she has created a collection of striking figures embodying the multi-faceted feminine identity.
She explores the ways in which our identities as woman are formed by our personal and collective history, and how it relates to the notions of femininity expressed in modern society. Her work is inspired by mythology and the symbolic language; by the ways in which it can enrich our lives, enabling us to transcend popular culture and reveal our own beauty.
Working with images originating in the unconscious, Deetlefs creates female forms which are clothed in layers of sheet metal. Some designs involve strips of metal applied in concentric bands while other designs are highly controlled and embrace a weaving technique. At one level the designs are carefully thought out to accentuate the beauty and sensuality of the female form; at another the design often has a deeper meaning, for example, the application of metal sheets in layers is symbolic of the many layers of our history that shape our identities.
