#Art

Last weekend I went on a graffiti tour with Past Experiences. I should have done this a long time ago. Graffiti is a huge deal in Joburg and I love photographing it. I haven’t blogged about it enough.

If you live in Joburg, you know that the most popular beaded animal of 2013 is the rainbow giraffe.

Beaded rainbow giraffes.

Beaded giraffes are nothing new in South Africa, nor are beaded animals in rainbow colors. But this particular design – the giraffe with a super-long neck, loveable face, and bright, blocky horizontal stripes – appeared earlier this year and has taken the beaded animal world by storm. Every beaded animal artisan in town is churning out rainbow giraffes, and they’re selling like hotcakes. I can see why. It’s impossible to look at a rainbow giraffe and not smile.

It’s interesting that I chose this particular time to return to America. Summer is drawing to an end here, while it’s just heating up back in Joburg. It’s around the same time of year that I moved to Joburg in the first place, which is how my blog got its name.

On Monday, as part of the Joburg City Festival, I attended a rehearsal at the South African Mzansi Ballet in Braamfontein.

I know nothing about ballet – in fact I’ve never attended a ballet performance before. I was excited to get a behind-the-scenes look and learn a few things.