Shaun Parker was born and raised in rural South Africa. From an early age, he enjoyed drawing and painting, little knowing that this would become his life passion.

He obtained an undergraduate degree in Architecture at the University of Port Elizabeth (South Africa) in 1995 and spent the following year traveling in England and Ireland. On his return to South Africa in 1997, he took up a position at an architectural firm in Johannesburg.

In 1999 Shaun moved to Gaborone, Botswana, where he worked as an architect, concentrating on community based projects. There he met his life partner and also seriously took up painting.

 

In 2001 he moved to Kiev, Ukraine with his partner. He continued painting, and started attending studio painting lessons led by Ukrainian artist Zoya Lehrman. This allowed him to develop his technique in studio works, particularly still life painting. Shaun found the rich cultural life in Kiev extremely stimulating, and was fortunate enough to meet some of Ukraine’s leading artists, becoming a frequent visitor to their studios. Living in Eastern Europe afforded Shaun the opportunity to travel extensively across Europe and countries within the former Soviet Union, both geographical areas being greatly inspirational to him.

 

In 2005 the couple (together with their two adopted Ukrainian street dogs) moved to Nairobi, Kenya, and for Shaun this was a very fulfilling and inspiring period as a painter. He attended weekly studio painting sessions with co-founder of RaMoMA and premier Kenyan artist, Mary Collis, and other artists based in Nairobi. He also took an active interest in the Arts in Kenya.

In 2006 Shaun completed his Masters Degree in International Business Management at the University of London, Royal Holloway. As his dissertation for this degree, he developed a five year business plan for RaMoMA plotting a course for the institution to become less dependent on single donor funds, and more self-sustaining.

 

Thoughts and Philosophy:

"Art just is. There is no other way of saying it. To say that it is a feeling or a mood, a statement, a process or a certain style is only partially correct. Art literally just is.

I try to focus on the act of painting - the relationship between artist and canvas. Essentially, being a medium through which the canvas transforms itself: the way in which the paint is applied, whether using pallet knife, brush or hand, is critical... the canvas ultimately reflects my interaction with it and the process of painting.

And if it evokes something within you, then I have achieved my goal at a higher level; that of creating something that is identifiable. Not recognizable, but identifiable. Whether the painting evokes the vastness of the open African space, or the vibrancy of the call to prayer at Ramadan; the mystery of a secret, or the joy of children at play, if the painting can stir something within you, that is what is important."