© Chickens Scene

Two chickens occupy this composition with characteristic vigour and presence. Rendered in mixed medium with bold, gestural marks, the birds are depicted with exaggerated forms and expressive distortion—their bodies twisting and overlapping against a warm, layered ground of greens, browns and ochres. The artist’s handling reveals visible brushwork and textural variety, whilst the colour application ranges from soft washes to more defined linear passages. Claerhout’s compassionate observation of daily farmyard life manifests here in work created during his decades among South African rural communities.