After Alice II continues Wilma Cruise’s longstanding exploration of the human condition through the figure. Characteristically poised between vulnerability and strength, the sculpture invites reflection on presence, perception and our capacity for empathy. Emerging from Cruise’s broader Alice Diaries series, the work draws on Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, reimagining the relationship between humans and animals.

Influenced by philosophical ideas of “becoming animal,” Cruise questions fixed distinctions between species and forms of knowing. In Wonderland, it is often the animals who possess understanding, while Alice navigates uncertainty. Through stillness and introspection, Alice reflects on what it means to inhabit a body, to be seen and to exist in relation to others. The sculpture creates a contemplative space where identity, connection and understanding unfold slowly over time.

Artist Photo courtesy of wilmacruise.co.za

Courtesy of IS Art & IS Sculpture Tokara Wine Estate - is@isart.co.za