We cherish what we love.

One thought – the birth of an attitude

Sometimes it all starts with a contradiction.
Between art and nature, proximity and distance, possession and preservation.
A single sentence surfaced – like a memory from another time:
"What we love, we cherish."

But what happens when what is meant to be loved is long since outside of sight?
When nature becomes a backdrop – beautiful, but distant?

This gave rise to an idea that would change the space:
To bring animals back into human habitats – not as decoration, but as equals.

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The idea behind Brandhoek

Having an animal on a sofa is not absurd.
It's a change of perspective.
As long as animals stay outside, the distance will remain.
But as soon as they are in our rooms, the balance is disrupted.

The sofa, a symbol of possessions and security, becomes a place for encounters.
At that moment, the animal loses its strangeness – and man loses his claim to superiority.
Two worlds meet on equal terms

Art as a silent corrective

Brandhoek was born out of the desire not to decorate, but to remember.
An animal on a sofa contradicts our expectations.
This irritation is intentional.
It forces you to look.
She creates closeness without being patronizing.
She displays dignity without pathos.

Art cannot save animals, but it can change perceptions –
And perhaps that's exactly where the first step towards responsibility begins.

Between humans and animals

Living spaces are controlled systems: symmetrical, air-conditioned, and plannable.
When an animal enters this room, it disrupts the perfection.
The sterile order acquires a heartbeat sound.
The wild becomes a mirror.
And what was once considered foreign becomes part of one's own world again.

An early design featured a lion on an anthracite-colored sofa.
No aggression, no posing – just calm.
The gaze was not directed at the person, but through them.
At that moment it became clear:
It's not about power, but about the present.

We cherish what we love.

Love is shown not in possession, but in preservation.
What is loved should remain – regardless of who owns it.
Perhaps this is the deepest truth behind Brandhoek:
Not to create art that possesses,
but images that remember.

Animals in indoor spaces are not a provocation, but a reminder:
They make visible how much closeness entails responsibility.
And that beauty is only true when it contains respect.

What began as a thought became an attitude that remains.

Author: Brandhoek ᛫ February 2022 ᛫ Cape Town

This work – Silent Dominant – comes from an earlier Brandhoek collection from 2022 and is no longer available. It remains part of the Brandhoek archive – a symbol of the beginning of a new perspective.

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