Okkie is an artist, autodidact, born in Zimbabwe in 1960.

Although she first started experimenting with paint in her twenties, it was only in her fifties that she picked up the brush once again. “Time evaporates when I am creating. It starts with an urge to paint and an idea for a painting. It’s not long before I am engrossed and the creative process itself takes over. As I am usually trying to capture serendipity, my original idea takes a back seat. If I let go, sometimes something I find beautiful emerges. I am always trying to capture serendipity”.

Okkie’s style is abstract, using a variety of techniques and materials to create depth and structure. Her paintings consist of layer upon layer of acrylic paint, pencil and pastels. She likes to incorporate pieces of canvas, cotton, string, paper, sand or other natural materials into her work for structure and for the visual interest this creates. “I love the effect that something I find beautiful has on me. It gives me a sense of peace and curiosity”. She is inspired by any marks created by time, whether these are found on an old wall, an old door, piece of metal or on a street. Anything inadvertently marked by time or sometimes by nature.

After leaving Zimbabwe, Okkie grew up in Tenerife, studied clinical psychology in The Netherlands, and also lived in Oman, England, Scotland, Kazakhstan and Egypt. She is currently living in Cairo and Victoria Falls.