Part of the "Great South African Story Tellers" series, this painting celebrates David Kramer, a masterful weaver of narratives whose medium is song. It is a testament to Kramer's place among the luminaries of South African culture, a man whose life has been an odyssey of melody and memory.

At the heart of the painting is David himself, seated in his intimate studio sanctuary at the back of the garden of his Cape Town home. He cradles his guitar on his lap as if it were an extension of his being. There's a serenity in his posture, a quiet confidence that speaks volumes about the comfort he finds in his art. Behind David, a tapestry of his life unfolds. The tools of his trade surround him like silent witnesses to David’s musical journey, each one bearing the scars and stories of countless performances. Among them, a much-cherished treasure stands out - a personal painting of David, by his own brother, John Kramer. It's an intertextual narrative within the larger tableau, that talks to the interconnectedness of art in its various forms, and the power of one to inspire others.

Through Kramer's music, we hear the echoes of history, the laughter of community, and the tears of struggle – a poignant reminder of the power of storytelling to unite, inspire, and heal. The play of natural light in the painting strategically bathes him in a warm glow, casting gentle shadows that accentuate the contours of his face, etched with the lines of experience, passion and the bittersweet, raw emotion his songs exude. Kramer’s songs carry both the light and the dark parts of South African life, the forgotten and the familiar. David is thoughtful, wistful but alert, and in the silence between songs, the audience never knows whether he’s about to impart a lesson, share a joke or retell a tragedy. 

Beyond merely capturing David's likeness, the portrait aims to invite the viewer to share in the joy and sorrow, the triumphs and tribulations that have shaped his life and art; to look into David’s eyes and bear witness to a deep reservoir of emotion waiting to be expressed through music. With his fingers poised delicately on the strings, David seems to carry the weight of a thousand melodies, each one a chapter in the ever-evolving, multi-cultural saga that is the story of South African.