On Saturday 24 May ’25 at 11h00 three new exhibitions are set to open at the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum in Durbanville.
- André Serfontein, solo exhibition ‘Betwixt’
- Annelie Venter, solo exhibition ‘Op Reis/ The Journey’
- Ceramicists Johan Swart & Sandile B Cele
A solo exhibition by André Serfontein, the winner of the 2023 Portrait Award, serves as a prelude to the upcoming 2025 rendition of the biennial national competition. Titled ‘Betwixt’, this solo exhibition will showcase a selection of mixed media paintings and drawings by Serfontein.
‘André’s works are celebrated for a sublime classicism underpinned with sly humour, eroticism, and a striking palette’, writes Dr. Julia Teale (former Fine Arts lecturer at Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town and Whitecliff College of Design and Art in New Zealand). ‘His painting style calls to mind the limpid stillness of portraits of the Italian Mannerist Bronzino as well as the Modernist Modigliani whose bodily elongations sacrifice anatomical realism to stylistic form.’
In both style and humour, Andre’s work gives a nod to the contemporary American painter John Currin. But like Bronzino, his oeuvre is more covert and restrained. It is this sense of secrecy and restraint that has evolved to hint at a wider and deeper net of human sensitivities and mores moving beneath the skin of his new paintings.
The juxtapositions of painting and drawing, levity and gravity, sexual confidence and emotional frailty, makes the title of the exhibition “Betwixt” so apt for this body of work. Viewers are invited to drift into a liminal terrain that hovers somewhere betwixt and between.
Annelie Venter, another Portrait Award alumnus, will be presenting her retrospective exhibition titled ‘Op Reis/ The Journey’, which documents her personal narrative as visual artist since she started exhibiting with Rust-en-Vrede Gallery 22 years ago.
Annelie often takes inspiration from her surroundings on the farm when selecting her subject matter. This results in an authentic, down-to-earth glimpse into the life (and sometimes struggles) of the farming community.
Perhaps best known for her captivating portrayal of local flora, Annelie has proven throughout the years that she can master any subject matter, including landscapes and portraiture (Annelie was one of the Top 40 Portrait Award finalists in 2023, and placed in the Top 5 in 2015 with her moving entry ‘The Life and Times of Nicolene M.’ Op Reis/ The Journey will include portraits that earned her a place as finalist during the Portrait Award. Everything Annelie portrays in her art naturally become part of the documentation of her personal narrative.
The Clay Museum sees two new exhibitions open on the 24th of May. Stellenbosch based ceramicist Johan Swart, who recently became a finalist in the inaugural South African Clay Awards, will be presenting a selection of ceramic pieces in the CUBE. These works range from his iconic ceramic oil canisters to bowls and lidded vessels – showing off his diversity in range and skill. Sandile B Cele, a Cape Town based potter, will be showing in the Clay Museum’s Gift Box. Sandile’s work, which he coined Zulu-Goth, is a perfect blend of contemporary culture and his African heritage. Consisting of mostly sculptural pieces, the unique surface design and clay selection pairs beautifully with that of Swart.
Multiple reasons to visit Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum in Durbanville. ENJOY!
WHAT: Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum new openings on 24 May ‘25
WHERE: Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum,
WHEN: opening on 24 May ’25 at 11h00. André and Annelie’s exhibitions can be viewed until Saturday 28 June, while the ceramics will be on show until 25 July ’25. | Gallery hours: Weekdays from 10h00 – 1600 and Saturdays from 9h00 – 13h00.
INFO: T 068 457 8589 | E gallery@rust-en-vrede.com | VISIT
Rust en Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum [35]
The WHAT, WHY & WHERE of the
arts scene in around Cape Town
see the 2023 art craft + museums map
and listen in to the
Arts Round Up Fridays @16.10
on Fine Music Radio FMR 101.3fm
The FMR App makes it even easier to tune into the Arts Round Up on Fridays! i-Phone HERE | Android HERE
Another reason Cape Town is placed 3rd in Time Out’s World’s Best Cities for Culture!
