Grace Kotze

Grace Kotze (b.1968) is a South African artist whose work reflects a lifelong fascination with the natural world. Based in Durban, she draws inspiration from the birds, animals and plant life that form part of her everyday surroundings, transforming familiar subjects into paintings that are both carefully observed and richly imaginative.

Kotze's artistic path has been shaped by a love of drawing and storytelling from an early age. Over time, she developed a distinctive visual language that combines strong draftsmanship with a decorative sensibility, allowing her to move comfortably between realism and interpretation. Her paintings often begin with close observation of a particular animal or bird before evolving into compositions layered with colour, pattern and symbolic detail. Acrylic remains her preferred medium, valued for its versatility and ability to build luminous layers of colour. Through a process of drawing, painting and refinement, she creates works that celebrate both the individuality of her subjects and the beauty of the environments they inhabit.

Although wildlife forms the foundation of her practice, Kotze's work is ultimately less about documentation than about connection. Her paintings reflect a deep appreciation for the humour, curiosity and character found throughout the natural world, encouraging viewers to engage with familiar creatures in new and unexpected ways.

Today, Grace Kotze's paintings are held in private collections throughout South Africa and abroad. Her work continues to appeal to collectors who value original contemporary art that combines technical skill, imagination and a genuine affection for the natural world.

Which new trends or South African artists do you find inspiring at the moment?
I find the amalgamation of graphics with fine art very inspirational as is allows for a playfulness of images even when confronting harrowing issues.
This also facilitates the co-mingling of different styles and mediums which opens many exciting visual dialogs.

Which South African deceased artist do you most admire and why?
Andrew Verster was a Durban artist who died in 2020. During my 34 years in the city I only have the warmest memories of this gentle and inspirational man. He had a generosity about him that offered so many artists support and inspiration which was also present in his painting. He explored so many platforms including painting, printmaking, fashion and theatre design.
He was also courageous about gender issues and was not scared to openly paint about his homosexuality in the 1980’s, a very brave thing to do in South Africa in those times.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
Impossible for me to say which one but definitely a Rembrandt van Rijn, my absolute hero!

Pick three artists who you would be honored to exhibit with – and why
Ruhan Jansen Van Vuuren, Christiaan Diedericks and Clive Van Den Berg are just a few of the many.  All three are wonderful examples of true creative that truly explore their mediums while being technically brilliant. They are ambitious and unbelievably professional in the work they produce. I also find all three artists work incredibly moving, beautiful and inspirational.

How did you get started? Did you always want to be an artist?
One of the main reasons is that I am dyslexic which made the visual world make sense. While I was I child I wanted to pursue almost every profession but in matric I realised that making art was who I was and how I made sense of the world. Due to financial reasons I did pursue other professions along the way. But since 2005 I have been involved full time with the arts as a painter, teacher and curator. With the coronavirus pandemic upheaval it pushed me in the direction of pursuing art making full time which has been an incredibly liberating experience.

What are some of the key themes you explore in your work?
Compassion, I attempt to make art that includes a human warmth that I believe is so important for the healing and understanding of humanity.
Technical ability, I am forever pushing myself to improve my painting techniques as I believe that there is magic and content to be found in the astute application of material.
Contemporary culture, this is a growing interest of mine, how common objects in our life are able to evoke powerful emotions.

What should people know about your art that they can’t tell from looking at it?
When I put a painting out into the public arena I don’t really have any other information to give the viewer. I am very aware that everyone interprets paintings in their own unique way. It’s something I have had to accept, once they are out there they take on another meaning and I need to be ok with that.
Our past experiences and psyche determine how we respond to images, each person will process a work of art in a different way. I have had viewers see very different things in my work than I intended, their view was no less valuable than mine.
Having said all that, I do have a personal story behind each work that people often like to know out of interest or for visual clues. Each work has a different story that is derived from an incident of chapter of my life.

Tell us more about your creative process.
My creative process is one that is intensely internal, which I need solitude and an emotional still to achieve. Through many hours of painting I have been fortunate in finding a way of achieving this state even through difficult times. I am very disciplined in my process which has served me well. I am fortunate though as there is little to procrastinate about when I start my day as each day is a new and exciting day. Opening myself up to the need to learn from each work allows for a day full of exploration and learning. 
I am very ruthless with myself and am not afraid to discard or start again. I aim to paint with each mark having intent, never just hoping for the best. 

Do you believe an artist should use their platform to influence society? Why?
Not necessarily, for myself I try and be as authentic to myself as possible and if the works influence then so be it.
Many artists have prejudicial views that can also influence society in a very negative way so it a contentious issue.

Do you have a favourite or most meaningful work?
No not at all, each time I shift in myself different works take on different values. I also have very little value in my work once I have finished a painting as the next painting occupies my attention. I paint with ambition, trying for each painting to improve my understanding of the medium and the visual world. There is never an end as there is so much to learn and explore!

What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date? 
I don’t have one in particular, each day I am grateful that people want to buy my work and that I have the privilege to paint every day! For me that is the greatest achievement

What are your aspirations for the future?
Just to carry on doing what I am doing but to further my knowledge with new mediums and more sculpture. I would also like explore more contemporary mediums and subjects. I feel that I am far from achieving a slick cohesive “product” that I have a yearning to achieve.