The Reach Within expands on the idea of internal resistance by introducing physical layers and fragmentation into the work itself. The crane again reaches upward while remaining tethered below, suggesting the tension between aspiration and self-imposed restraint.

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The addition of tracing paper introduces a sense of separation and overlap — suggesting how thoughts and internal narratives do not exist as a single, unified voice, but as multiple layers that shift and interact. The root and vein-like structures extend beneath the surface like an unseen belief system: organic, interconnected, and difficult to fully trace. Their depth implies how internal narratives can quietly shape behaviour far beyond conscious awareness.

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The ambiguous form beneath the crane hovers between iceberg and heart — both emotional centre and psychological weight. What was once held in place by tension becomes embedded within identity itself. The work reflects on how self-doubt and internalised beliefs accumulate over time, quietly inhibiting movement long before action begins.

The Reach Within

2026

Watercolour on Paper

630mm x 1150mm

R 8 900

​Original available - YES

Framed

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For Enquiries About Availability

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Contact me at karinmalan.art@mweb.co.za

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or 

Whatsapp me at (+27) 714507667