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South African visual artist Michaela Rinaldi

Michaela Rinaldi

South Africa | 4 artworks for sale

  • Shards Of Light - Painting by Michaela Rinaldi Shards Of Light
    Painting / 80 x 60 cm
    R32 000
  • Head In The Clouds - Painting by Michaela Rinaldi Head In The Clouds
    Painting / 103 x 103 cm
    R52 000
  • Compassion - Painting by Michaela Rinaldi Compassion
    Painting / 60 x 60 cm
    R28 000
  • Nurture - Painting by Michaela Rinaldi Nurture
    Painting / 100 x 100 cm
    R52 000
Working primarily with acrylics, charcoal, and mixed media, Michaela Rinaldi embraces the immediacy of large-format canvases, allowing her gestures to be both instinctive and immersive. Her process is fluid and spontaneous, driven by intuition rather than premeditation—reflecting the unpredictability of human experience. More recently, she has begun exploring a more structured approach, incorporating defined concepts into her work, signaling an evolution in her artistic journey.

Despite this shift, her intention remains unwavering: she seeks to create work that speaks for itself, forging a personal connection with the viewer. The addition of facial expressions within her figures further enhances this dialogue, drawing the audience into a more intimate engagement with the emotional narratives at play.

Rinaldi’s work is not just a reflection of her own evolution; it is an invitation—an open space for the viewer to explore their own experiences of growth, struggle, and self-discovery.

Born in 1968 in Cape Town, Michaela Rinaldi is a self-taught abstract figurative artist whose work offers a profound exploration of the human psyche. Through her expressive compositions, she navigates themes of internal conflict, transformation, and the search for meaning amidst life’s challenges.

Inspired by the bold forms of Henry Moore, the emotive linework of Toulouse-Lautrec, and the masterful use of color seen in Gauguin, Matisse, and Picasso, Rinaldi channels these influences into a deeply personal visual language. Her work is defined by a fearless use of color, striking figurative elements, and raw emotional depth. While her palette is ever-evolving, shades of blue often dominate, evoking contemplation and introspection.

Michaela has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, both in South Africa and internationally, with her artworks now residing in collections across the globe.

Selected Exhibitions:

2024
Group exhibition Take a Moment at RK Contemporary, Cape Town
Group exhibition Quiet Revolutionaries at RK Contemporary, Riebeek Kasteel
Group exhibition The Still Life Reimagined at RK Contemporary, Riebeek Kasteel

2020
Group exhibition She Perpetual Possibilities at RK Contemporary, Riebeek Kasteel
Solo Exhibition at Ground Art Cafe, Cape Town

2019
Group exhibition Works on Paper at RK Contemporary, Riebeek Kasteel

2018
Solo exhibition Vertigo at ODA Gallery, Franschhoek
 
2017
Group exhibition Slow the Flow at The Gallery, Riebeek Kasteel
Solo exhibition Colours of the Heart at Ground Art Cafe, Cape Town
Group exhibition In With The New at The Gallery, Riebeek Kasteel
Group exhibition Solstice at ODA Gallery, Franschhoek
Group exhibition Red Experiment at Youngblood, Cape Town    
Group exhibition Pan Africa Series & Pan Africa Series I at ODA Gallery, Franschhoek

2016
Group exhibition Lfe.Body.Time at StateoftheART Gallery, Cape Town
    
2014
Solo exhibition Soul Awakening at StateoftheART Gallery, Cape Town

 

Which artists, books or music have inspired your work?
Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin, Henry Moore, Toulouse Lautrec, Franz Klein, David Hockney to name a few.
Recently inspired by the Heroes journey by Joseph Campbell as inspiration to some of my latest pieces.

Which South African deceased artist do you most admire and why?
Irma Stern…her expressive use of vibrant colour and post-impressionist and fauvism influence in her more abstract portraits, often distorted and flat in nature.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
Le Luxe, by Matisse

Pick three artists who you would be honored to exhibit with – and why
Simon Stone, William Kentridge. Who wouldn’t want to ?

How did you get started? Did you always want to be an artist?
At a young age, I asked my father if he could draw something for me. He responded with a flat NO, explaining that if I never tried, I would never learn) This encouraged me to draw it myself and that’s where it all began. I saw that I could actually draw, and from then my passion and love for drawing and creating art was ignited and just grew from there.

What are some of the key themes you explore in your work?
My work, I guess is a never-ending self portrait of my experiences, beliefs and emotions. Through my abstract figurative works, I examine the human psyche, of the individual as well as in relation to others the various expressions and emotions that we experience on a day to day basis.

What should people know about your art that they can’t tell from looking at it?
Nothing at all! Whatever they see and or feel is perfect. If they can relate to the artwork and what it portrays to them, fantastic…but just a good if they like the colour or composition and it is purely aesthetic rather than and emotional connection. I have no statements to make and nothing to prescribe in terms of how the viewers should feel.

What are the most essential items in your studio and why?
Good NATURAL light if of course essential and not much more than that.

Tell us more about your creative process.
I used to just go to the canvas and paint. The process was one of discovery and surprise. Only in the last month or so have I started planning my works with preliminary sketches and ideas. The process is very different and

Do you believe an artist should use their platform to influence society? Why?
Each to his own. Some of us have great stories to tell or an important message to share. A protest or a statement which can be of great influence and has through the ages. This is not my modus operandi. I paint because I simply love it.

Do you have a favourite or most meaningful work?
A piece I painted of my dad, almost 2 years ago after he died. It hangs in my bedroom and is a daily reminder of both loss and mostly the memory of a good and caring man.

What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
To be doing what I love every day and making a living from it - what a dream!

What are your aspirations for the future?
Keep painting and creating……