Shy

Two figures in vibrant dress cling to a wooden post in an attitude of playful hesitation. Rendered in acrylic with loose, gestural brushwork, the composition captures a moment of childhood uncertainty—a pause before action. The warm palette of oranges and reds contrasts with touches of blue, whilst the figure work remains energetic and spontaneous. Motau’s practice of recording moments in time about children playing, drawn from life in Johannesburg, gives this intimate scene its immediacy and psychological insight.