About the Artist

South African fine artist, Deodanda Brown, is known for her sensitive cattle portraits, desolated landscapes, energetic seascapes, and vibrant floral works which reveal her love for nature and farm life, her voice against farm animal abuse, and her deep spiritual connection with her Creator. Both visual beauty and fine artistic qualities are the hallmark of her paintings.

Artist Statement

From desolated landscapes that capture only the land's natural beauty at the heart of each painting, to swirling seascapes, vibrant florals and the striking portraits of her beloved cows and bulls, Deodanda Brown’s art always focuses on protecting God's magnificent creation, ending animal cruelty, and finding hope. 

“Growing up on a farm sowed the seeds of the many memories I carry with me”, she says.  “I fell in love with the natural and quiet beauty of the land and the gentle souls of the animals that call it home.” 

Her cattle art lies very close to her heart. Growing up with dairy cows, she fell in love with the loving temperaments of these highly intelligent animals and started studying various cattle breeds from all over the world. Throughout her artistic career, she felt the need to show people the hidden beauty of these animals and create awareness against the inhumane and disrespectful brutalities of the meat and dairy industries. Deodanda became passionate about the Ankole cattle and its sister breed, the Watusi that are known for their magnificent, massive, and heavy horns spanning up to 8feet. With ancestors dating back to ancient Egypt, these two breeds form part of Africa’s oldest Sanga cattle breeds and were named after the Ankole people from Uganda and the Tutsi people from Rwanda and Burundi who, through their skilled herdmanship, have created four distinctive Ankole Watusi strains, each unique to the area where they are raised. Able to survive the harsh African climate, the Ankole and Watusi continue to play a significant role in the wealth status and livelihoods of these tribes and are considered sacred in certain areas. Unfortunately, the Ankole is on the brink of extinction in its native country, Uganda, due to over-slaughtering for its uniquely shaped horns that are a much sought after and highly prized decorative item. By creating a portrait milieu, Deodanda invites the viewer to step closer to her cows and bulls to witness their magnificent beauty and discover the gentle and loving souls that are mothers, fathers, and protectors.

Her work speaks of hope, courage, and joy and is infused with a myriad of colour nuances through a variety of textures that range from soft and delicate to bold and energetic.

She enjoys working on both large and small canvases and uses the richness of oil pigments to convey her subject matter.

Deodanda left her career in the pharmaceutical industry in 2016 to pursue her love for art full-time. She is a self-taught painter who has taken part in numerous group exhibitions. Her work is represented by local galleries in Paarl, Bellville, and Noordhoek. She lives and works in Durbanville, South Africa.