IN 1998, I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM 18 MONTHS LIVING IN LOS ANGELES WHERE I HAD BECOME FACINATED WITH ICONOGRAPHY, RELIGION AND RITUAL PERTAINING MOSTLY TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IN WHICH I LIVED. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SUPERSTICIOUS, HAVING GROWN UP IN A HOME WITH A SANGOMA, AND SO RELATED TO MANY OF THEIR RITUALS AND BELIEFS, I BRIEFLY STUDIED WITCHCRAFT WHILE I WAS THERE AND BECAME CLOSE TO A NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN WHOSE GRANDMOTHER WAS A MEDICINE WOMAN. WHILE LIVING THERE, I STARTED TO PRODUCE WORK THAT WAS TIED IN WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE AND WORKED FOR A MAN WHO PRODUCED CATHOLIC SAINT STATUETTES AND ICONS FOR VARIOUS CATHOLIC SUPERMARKETS AND PRIVATE CLIENTS, MY JOB WAS TO PAINT THE STATUETTES AND SO I BECAME ENTRENCHED IN A WORLD THAT I FOUND TO BE WONDERFUL, MAGICAL AND SCARY, AND ON MY RETURN TO SOUTH AFRICA I WAS INVITED TO DO A SHOW AT THE AREA GALLERY IN CAPE TOWN AND PRODUCED A BODY OF WORK DRAWING ON MY EXPERIENCES OF MY TIME IN L.A.