I have a total penchant for pseudonyms. I am, every now and then, still struck by the jarring truth in Oscar Wilde’s infamous remark that “a mask tells us more than a face”. ......................................

Aliases leave us with a lingering sense of romance, of the clandestine, of the super-hero-esc. 

Having studied at Parsons the New School for Design in New York, (yes, of Project Runway, yes of Heidi Klum), Nina Torr returned to South Africa and now teaches at The Open Window School of Visual Communication in Pretoria. 

Under her orthonym, Nina works in oil, predominantly focusing on figurative painting (like the one below). She works from old photographs which she chooses for their fogyish, eccentric qualities. These photographs often come from family farms in the Karoo where she spent holidays as a child.

Nina has also invented an artistic alter-ego for herself; an illustrator called Andy Wyeth and the named hand behind these charming gouache and ink artworks on fabriano paper.

Andy Wyeth is her nom de plume of choice as she elected to draw inspiration from the rather unknown American painter Andrew Wyeth, and tweak his name to a more hipster sounding “Andy” and all the Pop Art inferences that comes along with it (think Warhol…)

Andy’s first solo show was at Wolves in June 2012 and nearly sold out on the opening night.

Honestly, the first time I laid my eyes on these delightful works I knew I just had to have one. They have an edgy feel combined with an old-school elegance that lies in their simplicity.  

Did I mention that Nina is only 25? So, at 25, having lived in New York, Nina has created an alter-ego for herself and produces these incredibly chic illustrations.

To put it plainly, Nina and Andy are just cool.

I think we can expect much more from this cracking creative duo.