G. Oxche

Grant Oxche was born in 1977 in the Cape Flats near Cape Town, South Africa.

After he matriculated, he studied Graphic design at the Cape College.

Inspired and fueled by the hurt, sorrow and oppression brought forth by the South African Apartheid regeim, Grant turns to African portraiture as his main subject of expression since he can relate to the emotional turmoil of that time based on his life experiences.

Although his creative expression is inspired by a dark time in South African history, many of his artworks symbolise a beacon of hope and light using bold, vibrant colour and extraordinary use of light and contrast significant of how the culturally diverse South Africans united to bring light and equality to the people (hence why south Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation).

Grant’s style and use of light and colour was also inspired by artists such as Vermeer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Turner, Van Gogh and Monet. He is greatly influenced by the principles of Chiaroscuro because it adds to the emotional intensity of his work.

An element of utmost importance to Grant is to capture the essence of a human being in his paintings. He believes that his paintings need to transcend just being a picture to become something greater and more meaningful. He does this by paying careful attention to the eyes of the subject as to give life to his work because it is the eyes that are the window to the soul.