Jaco van Schalkwyk
View Artist Biography
Title:
MAKHOMSAVA - THE RADIANT ONE
New:
NEW
Medium:
Oil on belgian linen
Category:
Original paintings
Category:
Oil
Size:
60 X 42
INV. #:
JVS31055
Makhomsava: The Radiant One
Makhomsava’s name — meaning Mother Earth — suits her perfectly. Named after a road in Londolozi, she spent so much time on as she came into independence, her mother shifted and handed her the land
she grew up in. Soon, Makhomsava was seen in all the places once defined by her mother’s presence, carrying the lineage forward with grace.
We found her one evening on territorial patrol, scent-marking and sawing as she moved with purpose through her land. What made this sighting even more meaningful were the fresh suckle marks on her
belly — a silent reassurance that her cub, unseen for some time, was still alive.
We followed her until she settled on a dead tree stump, framed by the sky painted in hues of purple, pink, orange and blue. A perfect moment to capture in time of this beautiful creature. As the sun slipped away, she climbed down, gave one final territorial call claiming her ground, and disappeared into the night.
The next morning, her tracks led us into a dry riverbed. After sitting quietly for what felt like forever while she was calling and chuffing for her cub, she emerged — and for the first time I met her surviving
cub, now known as Loloyiso. Unlike her confident mother, the little one was skittish, darting for cover at the slightest sound. Makhomsava kept her hidden well, perhaps shaped by the heartbreak of losing her
littermate and so many cubs before this one.
Today, Makhomsava reigns over her piece of the Sands with quiet strength. She is a radiant leopardess, determined to protect her lineage and ensure that her bloodline continues into the future — a true
embodiment of Mother Earth, nurturing life in a landscape both harsh and beautiful.
Makhomsava’s name — meaning Mother Earth — suits her perfectly. Named after a road in Londolozi, she spent so much time on as she came into independence, her mother shifted and handed her the land
she grew up in. Soon, Makhomsava was seen in all the places once defined by her mother’s presence, carrying the lineage forward with grace.
We found her one evening on territorial patrol, scent-marking and sawing as she moved with purpose through her land. What made this sighting even more meaningful were the fresh suckle marks on her
belly — a silent reassurance that her cub, unseen for some time, was still alive.
We followed her until she settled on a dead tree stump, framed by the sky painted in hues of purple, pink, orange and blue. A perfect moment to capture in time of this beautiful creature. As the sun slipped away, she climbed down, gave one final territorial call claiming her ground, and disappeared into the night.
The next morning, her tracks led us into a dry riverbed. After sitting quietly for what felt like forever while she was calling and chuffing for her cub, she emerged — and for the first time I met her surviving
cub, now known as Loloyiso. Unlike her confident mother, the little one was skittish, darting for cover at the slightest sound. Makhomsava kept her hidden well, perhaps shaped by the heartbreak of losing her
littermate and so many cubs before this one.
Today, Makhomsava reigns over her piece of the Sands with quiet strength. She is a radiant leopardess, determined to protect her lineage and ensure that her bloodline continues into the future — a true
embodiment of Mother Earth, nurturing life in a landscape both harsh and beautiful.