STEPPING INTO YOUR POWER by Micaela

Exhibition opening 1 June, 6 - 8pm.

On exhibition from 1 June - 1 August 2023.

The concept of stepping into one’s power started to come into play in my life around February last year. What did that mean for me, what did that look like for me. It looked like having an honest conversation with myself. Making peace with parts of myself I did not want to see.

Realising that it is okay to acknowledge the addictiveness of toxic love, and is okay to start accepting healthy love. From yourself & others. Stepping into your power can feel like this beautiful, painful, peaceful & chaotic journey. Dark maroon - a color symbolic of passion, love - a color that has rarely graced my canvas over the years. The color was like a surge, an energy that had to be released. I was falling in love. The shedding of blood, shedding of one’s self - forever changing.

She who holds the power. I chose it to remember stepping into my sexuality and being proud of who I am. Stepping into your power can mean anything. Whether it’s to do with your career, self-discovery, creating boundaries, being a queer woman - it is unique for all of us. The two strokes, a common symbol in my works, which represents two souls from one. Now having complete freedom of movement through life’s journey. Not leaving your old self behind, but rather restoring the pieces that you have lost and allowing ones self to heal from life’s learnings The rivers we have swam, the people we have been, have moulded us to who we are today. And rather than forgetting that, we embrace it.

What does stepping into your power look like for you?

About the Artist

Micaela (b. 1995) grew up in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. In 2015, Micaela studied photography in Cape Town, thereafter completing a short course in Videography with Orms. Micaela grew up in the interior decorating world through her parents’ business, Bay Decor.

Micaela - a Plett and Cape Town-based photographer, film maker and artist - is known for her impressionistic yet modern acrylic paintings that capture her personal experiences with a jovial poise. Her soft, delicate palette is complemented by the occasional bright spark of colour. The artists’s aesthetic choices are intuitive rather than pre-decided. Through her gestural brushstrokes, Micaela’s paintings evoke a peaceful, calming, and emotional response. Her style is nuanced by a variety of inspirations, including scenery from Plettenberg Bay. The personal edge that Micaela brings to each painting changes and enhances recognisable subject matter, cultivating an imaginative, visual experience for the viewer.