Biography

Being an artist was a natural decision.
I was born and raised in suburban Harare, Zimbabwe. My dad was an entomologist, studying tick borne diseases, specifically heartwater disease. Much time was spent in the bush, around zebras, elephants and antelopes, with an occasional lion or hippopotamus.
His work took us to Kenya in 1988 and Gainesville, Florida in 1990.
(Go Gators!)
Travel became a part of growing up.
Savannah, Georgia was my next step; I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design. It was in this hot, historic, humid environment that I focused my creativity. I immersed myself in painting, printmaking and illustration. After completing my B.F.A. studies, a change was in order.
I now live in a little house on a hill in Raleigh, North Carolina, and work out of my Artspace studio located in downtown Raleigh.
My oil paintings and drawings are filled with people and animals. I work in an ever-changing series, with a dynamic cast of characters.

Artist Statement

My paintings take advantage of humor.
(The absurd rears its ugly head.)
The process is as important as the artwork itself.
My work is changing and dynamic.
Tumultuous materials explode in a rush of energy.
Elements of the familiar arise with the repetition of characters and situations.

Familiar actions and themes surface as the pieces progress:

Business vs. life
King vs. subjects
Surprise and outrage

Painting becomes an examination of relationships.

Hieronymous Bob – quintessential modern man. He is a sedentary, beer swilling, T.V. watching, typical American consumer.
His blank expression of surprise is a reaction to modern life.

Mad cow i.e. “T – bone” – reactionary, revolutionary. Outraged at the current health care situation. Works at a job he hates.

Pigs – pensive and particular. They enjoy wallowing in their own filth.

Kats – generally disinterested except in matters concerning themselves.

Birds – often taken to flights of fancy.

Elephants - large and in charge.

Rhinos - really get rambunctious.  Good at making a point.

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Copyright © 2003-2008 Keith Norval  All Rights Reserved Unauthorized Reproduction is a Violation of Applicable Laws