By: Simone Krok
The continuous bombardment by the media of disturbing imagery of live footage of beheadings and violence, the sensationalism of the grotesque has created desensitization that I find incredibly dangerous and even more than that, incredibly sad.
By no means do I promote or suggest censorship, but a reawakening of our own discernment. My work urges the viewer to be appalled by the imagery. To remember that the news is not Hollywood.
Real children are dying and starving and we are so eager to watch it on Facebook and in the media. I have always felt that something is wrong with the world, I don't feel so much an obligation or that I have a moral high ground, I just want people to see what I feel about certain situations.
Growing up in South Africa, I witnessed injustices that did not resonate with an innocent child's truth. It made no sense to me that the colour of a person's skin could determine which bench one sat on in the park, or which entrance one could walk through at the post office. Being Jewish and wanting to understand my past I travelled to Eastern Europe to visit sites of concentration camps. The horrors of the gas chambers and the smells of the past filled me with the compulsion to understand the reasons why people would develop the urge to murder and oppress their fellow human beings.
My core values are not that complicated. I try to keep my ego in check and maintain a humble approach in my work and daily life. Essentially I believe that every human soul being a spark of divinity deserves to be loved and nurtured. Love, excuse the cliché, is the basis of all respect for humanity. It (Love) is all encompassing - this includes love for the planet, for animals and all humankind. It sounds a bit Ethnobongo and hippyish but resonates for me as TRUTH.
I think society will move towards being more digital and more scientific in the next few years, a natural development in line with technology. I look forward to experimenting with these changes especially 3D printing - I will be hoping to include some of this in my next exhibition.
I have no idea if I will have much impact in 100 years. The number of people that have a profound lasting effect on the world are not that big. The world has become smaller but the pond bigger, and I'm a tiny fish.
I am most proud of my Daughter. I am a single mother and I am so grateful that I was blessed with the miracle of life. I'm sure my daughter, Sahara, will grow up to be a creative and sensitive asset to society.
I am an artist because I am compelled to create. It is just who I am and I cannot say it is a choice but rather an aspect of my personality. I feel very privileged that I can pursue my natural path.
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About Simone Krok
Simone Krok is an artist who, for the past decade, has been crafting visually striking and thought-provoking works that explore deep questions relating to the human condition and the nature of creation.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1968, Simone has possessed a lifelong passion for the arts and creativity. She was awarded her BA degree in Classical Civilisation from Wits University in South Africa and later studied animation and digital media at Camera Obscura in Tel Aviv. She went on to achieve her diploma in Jewellery Engineering Technology from Box Hill Institute where she began creating extensive sculptures, for which she was awarded the institute's design and acquisition awards for the year 2008. In 2010, Simone also attained a Master of Fine Arts degree at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
Simone Krok's work has taken her across the world. In 1999, she was commissioned by HBO and Pelon Films to produce two series of stone engravings. In the same year she also opened an art studio in Florentin, Tel Aviv. In 2009, her work was displayed at RMIT University, as part of their annual Gold and Silversmithing Postgraduate and Alumni Award Exhibition.
More recently, Simone exhibited her work at Scope's Sculpture Exhibition, a charity exhibition held for the disabled charity Scope, at London's OXO Tower Wharf. Ever striving to improve, Simone is currently under the mentorship of leading international sculptor, Jill Berelowitz.