News and Future Plans

News and Future Plans

Research Background/Current activity and Future plans:

I have successfully completed my Masters degree in Visual Art (specializing in drawing) under the guidance of my supervisor Prof Elizabeth Gunter at the University of Stellenbosch (2014).

I have recently been accepted towards doing my PhD in Visual Art (Practice-Led) at UNISA and I am in the process of writing my proposal under the supervision and guidance of Prof.  Elfriede Dreyer and Dr. Gwenneth Miller (UNISA, specializing in the sublime) .    My current focus is the further development of my drawings with a specific research interest and focus on the sublime in its relationship and manifestation in and through suggestive drawing trace…  Furthermore, I am also interested in experimenting and further developing my drawings as spatial interventions in relation to carceral architectural spaces… (with a specific interest in exploring internal and external spaces of being and becoming – specifically exploring a prison space as a type of hetrotopian space as it relates to the sublime)

My proposed Phd Research Topic:

CARCERAL SPACES

Anticipating the sublime…

An exploration of the emphatic sublime through the experience of awe in drawing and its particular relationship to space towards effecting the transformation of the self and the O/other.

Upcoming solo exhibition/s:

1.  ‘CONFESSIONALE’ (Italian for a Confessional space – Solo exhibition, Art it Is Gallery, Cape town, Opening:  29 August 2019)
2. ‘JOSEPH” – A solo exhibition (of my muse/subject of my drawings and X-inmate from Drakenstein Correctional Services) of Dry point etching prints, Curated by Avital Lang from the Avital Lang Gallery, Cape Town, Opening:  20 June 2019)

Reflecting on most important Solo exhibitions:

1.  HIDDEN  – (Solo exhibition of Charcoal Drawings, Everard Read Gallery, Franschhoek, July 2018)
2.  CARCERAL SPACES – Anticipating the sublime… – (Solo exhibition of Charcoal Drawings, Reservoir Gallery, Oliewenhuis Museum, July 2017)

I did two solo exhibitions this year as part of preliminary research towards my proposed PhD in Visual Art, the first entitled: “Carceral Spaces:  Anticipating the Sublime…” which was presented in July 2017 in the underground Reservoir Gallery at the Oliewenhuis museum, Bloemfontein,  South Africa.  (For further details regarding this exhibition please refer to my pages entitled “Solo exhibitions” on the website)  As a further continuation of my Solo Exhibition (Carceral Spaces..) , I was invited towards a second two person solo exhibitions (with artist Hannelie Taute – her show entitled “Come Hell or High Water…”)  of my charcoal drawings which was subsequently entitled “Carceral Spaces II:  Anticipating the Sublime…” was presented at Lizamore & Associates Gallery in Rosebank, Johannesburg in October 2017.  (as a follow up show to the preliminary solo show held at the Oliewenhuis museum)…

Awards for Solo exhibition:  “Carceral Spaces:  Anticipating the Sublime…” (Received an Award for Best Visual Art exhibition during the Free State Art Festival and was nominated for a KykNet Fiestas Award for Visual Arts (2018))

My most recent solo exhibition of large charcoal portrait drawings of the prisoners at Drakenstein Correctional Services (DCS) was entitled “Hidden” and consisted out of a body of charcoal drawings exhibited in the ‘Black Room’ at the Everard Read Gallery in Franschhoek in July 2018.

Lastly, I was invited to be an exhibiting artist at the most recent TURBINE ART FAIR in Johannesburg this year. (One of the exhibiting artists represented by curator, Jandre Pieters from the Art It Is Gallery at the TURBINE ART FAIR, October 2018).

Recent news,  developments and community work:

Recent awards and international participation in Art competitions and exhibitions:

My large scroll drawing entitled “Simon of Cyrene” have obtained joint second prize (with the Italian artist Emmanuel Sartori) as one of the finalist works in the “Painting and Drawing” category of the International Celeste Art prize competition and final exhibition in Milan, Italy in November 2015.  Furthermore, another one of my large scroll drawings entitled “Waiting for Messiah” obtained second place as one of the 3 finalists’ artworks in the TABOO International Art competition and final exhibition held at the Poggiali & Forconi Art gallery in Florence, Italy in April 2016.    In January 2016 I completed my exhibition period as one of the invited guest artists chosen from the 43 finalists of the Celeste Art Prize to exhibit some of my drawings at the Melia White House Hotel in London (U.K) as part of ARTROOMS 2016, an International Art Fair for Independent Artists. Concluding, one of my most recent drawings entitled “Procession:  After the Citizens of Calais” was accepted by the jury of ARTBOX MIAMI 1.0 and was digitally displayed during the art weeks in Miami in December 2016.

Most recently, my drawing, entitled “Horizons of Hope II” purchased by the French Art collector, Pierre Lombart, and was exhibited at SAFCA’s Booth during the CAPE TOWN ART FAIR  on the 16th, 17th and 18th of February 2018 after which it has been sent to St. Emilion in France where it will be exhibited for a more extensive period of time..

Lastly, I have accepted the invitation to attend an Artist Residency with SAFCA at Saint Emilion in France  in 2020/2021 (May – July).

Community work:  Drakenstein Correctional Services (DCS, Paarl, South Africa)

I am and have been involved in Drawing and Printmaking skills development and rehabilitation workshops with a group of Prisoners who have enrolled themselves in the Art Program at Drakenstein Correctional Services in Paarl since 2015 – .  The prisoners have become part of my proposed PhD research and are also the subjects of of my drawings – them being my “muse”/”visual soundboard” in and through whom I also reflect upon my own life etc.  In turn, I specifically focus on teaching them printmaking and drawing skills. In my interaction with them, I specifically focus on the therapeutic, psychological and spiritually transformative aspects  involved in the work which I do with them.  I seek to investigate their potential towards establishing careers for some of them (most artistically talented ones) as eventual artists in the contemporary art world.  In so doing, they are taken out on excursions to contemporary art exhibitions and their work has and will be exhibited in various contemporary art galleries and museums in South Africa and maybe also abroad.  Some of these prisoners’ work have already been included in the work of private contemporary art collectors locally and abroad.

The prisoners have taken part in several Group exhibitions up to date – One of the Group exhibitions these prisoners have participated in has been at the Sasol Art Museum entitled the “100 Geographies” exhibition (curated by Elizabeth Miler-Vermeulen) and the exhibition was a collaboration with the Geography department of the University of Stellenbosch with the purpose of exploring different aspects surrounding the notion of space.  Each artist exhibiting their work explored this idea in their own particular way (eg. migration, human interaction – be it estrangement or inter-connectedness between people etc.).  Coverage of this exhibition can be viewed on U-Tube through an interview which was conducted with the representatives/organizers of this particular exhibition on the program entitled “PRONTUIT” on Kyknet, which took place on the 4th of October 2016.

Furthermore, the prisoners (from my Art Program at DCS) have taken part in many other Group exhibitions at the Art It Is Contemporary Galleries in Cape Town and Johannesburg (Group exhibitions entitled “Identity”, 2016  etc), Contemporary Art Galleries in Hermanus, been included as part of the artworks which was exhibited in the foyer area at my solo exhibition entitled “Carceral Spaces:Anticipating the sublime…” (in the Reservoir Gallery, Oliewenhuis Museum, 2017)  and also participated in the Stephan Weltz Exhibitors and Auctioneers Group Exhibition entitled “Orchids and Art” etc. (2017).  Radio coverage and interviews were conducted by Rian Pilati and Annemarie Baird from GaySA Radio as it relates to my own work and the work of the prisoners etc.

We are currently planning and attempting to structure  a travelling group exhibition for (prisoners who have already left prison as well as some of the prisoners still inside prison confines from DCS) them during March/April 2020 through the Art It Is Gallery in Woodstock and Johannesburg entitled “i have a Dream…”   Seeing that we are still in the process of preparing, planning and structuring this proposed exhibition further details concerning this will be published on my Facebook page and my website early next year.

C

Concluding, if you might have any suggestions, inquiries or specific interests in the artwork included in this website, please feel free to send me a message on my “contact” page and I will respond as soon as possible.    For any additional information or inquiries, you may also refer to my  Face book profile.

I thank you for your interest,

Marieke