"Each opportunity is a opening for growth and discovery. That's where the inspiration flows"
- Kendall-Leigh Nash
Our artists work hard throughout any given year and 2015 was no exception. We asked a selection of our artists to share their achievements and highlights with us for the past year, as well as their plans for the 2016.
For Laurel Holmes being included in the first South African Fine Art Print Fair in October 2015 was a highlight. Another was to exhibit with Karin Daymond and Belinde Fourie in the show 'Vista' at In Toto Gallery in January last year. Laurel mentions her sales through our online gallery as another highlight, noting how encouraging it is that more and more collectors are buying art sight unseen through our website.
Laurel is participating in July this year in our group exhibition 'Scapes: Rhythms Of The Environment', with Joanne Reen, Karen Wykerd and Catherine Ocholla at our Cape Town gallery. This quote from the artist describing a road trip last March shows why she was selected for this exhibition: "...once again reminded of, and being able to immerse myself in, the big skies and open spaces of South Africa; and then come down being awed by nature's finer detail in fynbos, other indigenous flowers and the like."
During the year ahead Laurel will be experimenting with wax encaustic, printmaking, and also has a road trip to Anns Villa in the Eastern Cape planned - a place she visited in 2014, and which resulted in some of the best work she feels she has produced to date.
Damien Schumann collaborated on 'Disclosure' and exhibition at the Iziko National Museum last year, as well as travelled around the world to make a series of films advocating for the development of new malaria vaccines and drugs. He is one of the 26 artists from different disciplines who form the Ubulungiswa/Justice Collaboration, an ongoing art project about social justice. When asked about 2016 he says: "I'm looking forward to collaborating on a new project about kidney dialysis, finishing a film about mental health, and continuing my work in TB and Malaria."
Bettie Coetzee-Lambrecht is our artist for next months' 'In The Studio' feature, and she designed, printed and published a limited edition photographic hard cover book titled 'Still/Life in Motion: a portrait of time passing'. The book is an exploration of growing old youthfully and was launched with an accompanying solo exhibition at the Mogalakwena Gallery in September 2015.
A highlight for Corné Eksteen has been to receive two artSPACE Artists' Choice Awards in 2015. This local competition sees over a 100 local artists participate in a themed exhibition (the 2015 theme was vinyl records & albums). Two sets of awards are handed out, the first based on votes by participating artists and the second by a juried panel of local art critics and industry leaders. Corné was awarded the 3rd prize in the artists' choice category and 1st place in the juried category. This was the first time that any artist received awards in both categories.
The artist's first solo exhibition since 2009, "Disintegration", opened on August 31 at artSPACE Durban and was a hugely successful with over 90% of works sold and excellent reviews. In 2016 he hopes to present at least 2 new shows on themes and subject matter that developed from work created after "Disintegration".
For Ntobeko Mjijwa and Gary Frier the sale of their artworks through StateoftheART was one of their career highlights for the year. Gary plans to expand and develop his craft, especially in sculpture and ceramics. Ntobeko and Gary are two of the participating artists in our exhibition 'Beneath the Skin' which opens in June this year.
Joanne Reen secured a private space for showcasing her work on permanent exhibition in Nieu Bethesda and was included in the Karoo Modern pop up exhibition in Nieu Bethesda that included top Eastern Cape artists. She aims to reach a broader audience in 2016.
Janet Botes will hold her second solo exhibition 'ORGANISM' with StateoftheART in April, and is working with Anni Snyman and Strijdom van der Merwe through Site_Specific to present "Stories of Rain". This is the South African branch of the Global Nomadic Art Project by Korean Nature Art group YATOO. One of Janet's highlights for 2015 was travelling to South Korea to participate in the second flagship leg of the Global Nomadic Art Project.
As a young artist in the industry, Kendall-Leigh Nash feels that she has a lot to learn, and lists being approved by our curatorial panel to exhibit her work though StateoftheART as a highlight. She says: "It's the first gallery I've had the privileged to work with and selling my work to overseas clients has been a great accomplishment. I'm very grateful and very proud." Kendall-Leigh's exquisite drawings will bring her a lot of success in 2016 and ahead, especially as her plans for 2016 includes "...to just keep at it". She aims to keep working hard on her skill and concepts and staying open to new opportunities.
In The Press 2016 :
Danelle Malan features in Marie Claire magazine
Michaela Rinaldi features in Slow magazine
In The Press in 2015
Janet Botes and Janet Ranson partipated in a Site_Specific project and their work featured in the Country Life magazine.
Janet Botes featured in the Cape Town Southern Suberbs Tatler newspaper.
StateoftheART artist Michaela Rinaldi is featured in the August edition of Livingspace magazine.
And what our customers are saying:
We strive to provide our customers and art lovers with the very best service which is reflected the notes of appreciate we receive, such as this recent one from a buyer based in Amsterdam
"I cannot thank you - and Aspiring Logistics - enough for going the extra mile in ensuring that my artwork got here so unbelievably quickly....".
You can read more at stateoftheart-gallery.com/applause
