Calling her first exhibition of oils and charcoal drawings Silent Spaces, former textile designer Anthee Ramlucken Sukai, explores the silent spaces between two people. This exhibition is currently on show until June 23 at the Durban Documentation Centre.

The Kloof-born housewife now living in Reservoir Hills decided to take up painting seriously about seven years ago. She studied textile design at ML Sultan Technikon and then worked for David Whiteheads before leaving work to raise a family. But soon the artistic spirit called and she began studying through Unisa

“I’m interested in people and their psychological makeup. There’s something in people’s eyes I feel the need to interpret - more than just what you see outside. Something else inside, part of us that nobody knows. This aura is hard to interpret in words which is why the word `silence’ is in the title. I play with colour and create moods.

“A number of my paintings have sexual overtones, dealing with intimate spaces between two figures – where one can be close but not touching. I have produced some paintings of single figures in which I have tried to capture the sense of alienation.”

A mother of three, Anthee is grateful that her husband is very supportive and she is mostly left to her own devices when it comes to producing her art. “In the Indian community, for women, the home must come first. It is something we have to do. I have learnt to get a balance. “

The Durban Documentation Centre is situated at the corner of Epsom and Derby Roads, Greyville.