Mosaic artist by day, community humanitarian by night, Kerry Atherstone is  a woman on a mission who is using her artistic abilities to bring people together   

What Drew You To Mosaic Initially? 
I was drawn to mosaic while studying clothing design at Cape Technikon. One of our briefs was reconstructive design. While pondering on what to create for the brief, I noticed some leftover generic tiles lying around the house. I went outside and decided to smash the tiles. This was the beginning of my mosaic journey, and I have not looked back. This experimental process of smashing the tiles and recreating some- thing new planted a seed within me.  Many years later, I went to some classes to learn the process of mosaic – I was hooked from the first project. Seeing Antoni Gaudí’s work in Barcelona was also a contributing factor to how I became drawn to this career.

Tell Us More About The Community Work That You Do.  
Exposing myself to different environments, cultures and personalities enriches my life. It allows me to see the world through many perspectives. Community work, in particular, enables me to have a window into different worlds. An important purpose in my life is to try and break down societal walls – of class, creed and stigma. My vision is to use mosaic as a tool to break down these barriers.  Connecting with people in the community and offering community members an opportunity to be part of a community artwork is essential. To run these project successfully, one needs to be aware of the challenges faced in a community. From a position of awareness, the project can be designed to ensure there is buy-in participation and input from community stakeholders. The end artwork needs to be relevant to its surroundings.

Once we have connected with the community, we run workshops that teach them how to make their own mosaic art masterpieces. Usually, we would run an adult workshop and involve a school to enable local children to have an opportunity to be part of a series of workshops, using different mediums. Facilitation, people skills and connecting withthese community members is a recipe for success. Artworks from the children are collected and a few are selected as reference images for the bigger artwork to be installed in the community. A few community members are selected as trainees to be part of the bigger artwork. This concept art is then translated into a mosaic artwork, which is done in a collaborative way to ensure skills transfer. Community work is essential for me as a human being – to know I am giving back in some small or big way.

What Is The Most Exciting Part Of Your Day? 
My favourite part of my workday is when the ideas start exploding. This usually happens while I am doing something mundane, such as driving my car or having a morning shower. My favourite aspect of my work is getting a bird’s eye into different people’s lives, with mosaic as the common denominator. I love connecting with people to discuss concepts and projects, and figuring out how to translate this into tangible mosaic artwork. It’s a similar feeling to placing the last piece of a puzzle. 

Do You Have Any Plans To Take Your Workshop Across The Country? 
While we are based in Cape Town, this is certainly something I have considered and will be rolling it out in the near future. 

Are There Any Words of Inspiration That You Carry Close To Your Heart? 
I have a few, but two that are my favourite are: ‘When life gets tough, it’s trying to teach me a lesson’ and ‘Growing every day and getting out of my comfort zone is what makes me feel alive’. 

 Words by Yashna Balwanth