Kloof has a new landmark – a beautiful collection of indigenous fauna and flora, painted by street artist Giffy Duminy and sponsored by Cooke Fuller Garrun.
“When Keep Kloof Beautiful Association approached us to get involved, we thought this would be an exciting project to be part of,” said Colleen Saunders, director of Cooke Fuller Garrun. “We have been in the Kloof area for so many years and have watched it grow. This seemed to be a project that the people of Kloof would appreciate.”
Giffy grew up in Kloof and has always had his eye on the stretch of wall at the junction of Village Road and Park Lane. Fortunately for local residents, his style has evolved from contemporary graffiti to an approach inspired by nature.
The artwork includes a kingfisher, a tree frog, chameleon, Natal Robin, agapanthus and wild garlic flowers, set around the word “home”. “These beautiful creatures have been around way longer than we have and I want to remind people that this is their home too,” Giffy explains. “In some way, I hope this might influence decisions they make in future that affect our environment.”
The project was done in collaboration with Keep Kloof Beautiful Association and took a lot of work behind the scenes to get the necessary approvals from the municipality, before Giffy could even begin sketching his work. It then took over a week to prepare and paint.
The artwork has already created a lot of attention, with pedestrians and drivers stopping to take a closer look or chat to Giffy while he was working. “I have been amazed by the support I have received from the community. It’s incredible!”
