I imagined John Blanke as an incredibly talented, dedicated musician, enjoying his elite position as court trumpeter and confidently aware of the value of the gift he shared. I love the horn in contemporary music and was listening to South African jazz while thinking about this commission. So my portrait of John Blanke is inspired by the superbly talented Johannesburg-based trumpeter, composer and bandleader Mandla Mlangeni. .

Victoria Burgher
Artist