LP 008 2026 Better Luck Next Time

2026: Better Luck Next Time is an original acrylic painting from my Limited Palette Series—a growing collection of small, individually numbered artworks created using black, white and just a handful of carefully chosen colours

This painting was prompted by watching Bafana Bafana return home after the World Cup. Although we didn’t win, there was something deeply moving in the way the team came back — disappointed, no doubt, but still able to hold their heads high for having come as far as they did.

What stayed with me most was the atmosphere of homecoming: the sense of returning to family, to people who love and receive you regardless of the result. It was a reminder that however important the game may feel in the moment, it is still only one game. There is time ahead, room to grow, and another chance to do better.

In this small work, I wanted to capture that quiet exchange of comfort and perspective — a parent consoling a child, while also passing on an important lesson: resilience matters, safe spaces matter, and what matters most is knowing who stands beside you when things don’t go your way.

For me, 2026: Better Luck Next Time is about more than football. It is about being loved in disappointment, finding strength in setback, and understanding that hope is always carried forward.

Like every work in the Limited Palette Series, this painting forms part of an ongoing visual diary—small observations, moments of curiosity and quiet discoveries that emerge through the process of painting.

Original acrylic on hardboard
Professionally framed in contemporary white wood
Individually numbered as part of the Limited Palette Series
Ready to hang