Cape Town Artist Lisette Forsyth illustrates the complexities of Land Reform in her latest solo exhibition at StateoftheART
LAND | a solo exhibition by Lisette Forsyth
Land.
“South Africa belongs to all who live in it” was the dream
But now land is the ultimate issue and the great divide
Because land defines who, what and where we are
With land we are all monarchs, without it we are serfs
This current art of mine is an expression of the riddle of the land
Which has to be solved. Somehow.
For all our sakes - Lisette Forsyth
Recent events in South Africa and the progress of the proposed amendment to the Constitution to allow for expropriation of land without compensation have posed critical questions such as: Whose land is to be expropriated? What criteria for expropriation will be utilized? Who is to be the beneficiary under such expropriation?
It is against this backdrop that artist Lisette Forsyth stages her exhibition LAND which takes place during Art Week Cape Town 2019.
Exhibition information:
Venue: StateoftheART Gallery, 50 Buitenkant Street, Cape Town
Date: 11 - 18 February
Hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 17:00, Saturday: 10:00 till 14:00.
Entry: Complimentary
Artist Walkabout
14 February at 14:00 hrs
16 February at 11:00 hrs
For those unable to attend in person, the exhibition may be viewed online at StateoftheART
Artist Biography:
Lisette Forsyth is a Cape Town based artist. The city and its residents, the people as well as the fauna and flora, are the inspiration for the artworks she creates. She studied graphic design at the Cape Technicon, majoring in photography and printing. Between 1992 and 1994, she completed an internship at Mechanical Graphics at the Bayerische Rundfunk, Germany. In 1998 she took up a four month residence in the Caretaker's Studio while on a working holiday in Perth, Western Australia, culminating in a group exhibition: Cottesloe the People. The artist has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally, participating in over ten group exhibitions and six solo exhibitions.
LAND is the artist's third solo exhibition with StateoftheART, following Love Thy Neighbor in 2015 and A Reflection of Us in 2014.
About StateoftheART
StateoftheART is a contemporary gallery based in the heart of District Six, a residential area in Cape Town's city centre synonymous with forced removals during the Apartheid years which culminated in the displacement of more than 60 000 people by 1982.
For more information and print images please contact Jennifer Reynolds:
E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
T: 061 129 1899
STATEOFTHEART GALLERY AWARD 2018 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED: Shortlisted artists in the frame for R10k prize and solo exhibition
Cape Town based gallery StateoftheART is pleased to announce the 10 artists shortlisted for the inaugural StateoftheART Gallery Award 2018.
After careful consideration of several hundred entries by artists from around South Africa, the judges have shortlisted 10 artists working across a number of mediums including sculpture, painting and printmaking. The work of the shortlisted artists will go on show in a special exhibition at StateoftheART’s Cape Town gallery from 06 – 22nd September 2018 for the final round of judging.
The winner will be awarded a R10 000 cash prize and a solo exhibition with the gallery in 2019.
For further details on the Award, to be invited to the opening event or to arrange a viewing, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Shortlisted artists:
Jo Roets; Janna Prinsloo; Anna-Carien Goosen; Nadine Hansen; Lezanne Kotze; Adele Van Heerden; Anina Deetlefs; Lebogang Mabusela; Tina Teles; Chloe Obermeyer.
…ENDS…
Notes to the editors
The members of the StateoftheART Gallery Award jury are Mirjam Asmal, director of the AVA; Mandy Conidaris, visual art consultant, art writer, and visual arts educator; Carol Hodes, curator and collector; Masixole Ncevu, award-winning artist and photographer; Jennifer Reynolds, founder of StateoftheART.
About the Award
StateoftheART launched the inaugural StateoftheART Gallery Award in February 2018, to unearth undiscovered talent by artists from around South Africa and provide a platform for artists to gain industry recognition and boost their career. Five respected people involved in the art industry have selected the shortlist of 10 finalists whose work shows originality, a strong signature in a South African context, and technical skill.
About StateoftheART
Established in 2010, StateoftheART is a boutique gallery specialising in affordable contemporary art by early and mid career South African artists. The gallery offers an online ‘click-to-buy' service for collectors unable to visit in person.
For further media information/interview opportunities please contact
Jennifer Reynolds on 072 4709272 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Andrea Stallbom on 061 129 1899 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
First Fine Art Photography Gallery opening in East Rand, Gauteng.
THE GEORGE FIVAZ FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY IS OPENING ON 3 SEPTEMBER 2016 - A FIRST FOR THE EAST RAND AND THE CITY OF EKURHULENI, AND ONE OF A FEW IN SOUTH AFRICA
The George Fivaz Fine Art Photography Gallery is opening on 3 Sepbember 2016.
This will be a first for the East Rand and the City of Ekurhuleni, and one of a a few in South Africa.
Master Fine Art Photographer, George Fivaz invites all art and photography lovers to join him on the 3rd September 2015 for the grand opening.
The Art Gallery is situated in the town, Nigel. George is opening the gallery as a celebration of his love of photography and art. The images and collections on display consist of a unique selection of social documentary, landscape, and abstract prints as well as a number of mixed media works, and although primarily dedicated to showcasing Fivaz’s own artwork, the gallery will soon also exhibit a number of other exciting fine art photographers, mixed media artists, and digital artists.
Fivaz’s fine art prints offer an excellent opportunity to imbue the spirit Africa into the home, office, healthcare, and hospitality environment. The gallery provides unique artworks that will not be found anywhere else, adding a special ambience to your projects.
Provoking thought and emotion are components in Fivaz's art, a characteristic which could arguably be considered to be a result of his understanding, versatility and ability to adapt to every location he visits. The Abandoned, Goedverwachting, Healing, Quaver, Winter Wonderland, Cast in stone, and Windows are some of the collections of work which will be on display in the gallery.
For a visual tour of photographs taken by George Fivaz, or to view the online art gallery visit his website at www.georgefivaz.com
To join Fivaz in the opening of the art gallery, please visit the Gallery at 17 Buxton Avenue, Nigel, Gauteng.
Contact Information:
George Fivaz
Fine Art Photographer
www.georgefivaz.com
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
mobile: 072 270 1331
WALKING ON WATER | a solo exhibition at StateoftheART by Zaan Claassens in which the artist examines water surfaces, reflected light and the ephemeral nature of her subject matter.
StateoftheART is proud to announce Zaan Claassens' upcoming solo exhibition WALKING ON WATER which opens on Thursday, May 5th in conjunction with the First Thursdays Cape Town event.
In WALKING ON WATER, the artist uses the medium of oil paint to examine water surfaces, reflected light, and the ephemeral nature of her subject matter. Her beautifully crafted bronze sculptures add their magic.
“Most mornings, wind and swell permitting, I paddle my surfski in the Atlantic Ocean. Here I observe the interplay between light and water, water and sky. It is mesmerizing. It is brilliantly beautiful. The ebb and flow of water provides me with a continuously changing picture. I find oil paint and the fluidity of linseed oil the perfect medium with which to capture my subject. I make use of reflection to abstract or distort reality. It is through the water that recognizable objects become transmuted. There is a transformation that occurs and new objects and shapes appear. Something is born in the water, something greater than the sum of its parts. It is my intention to create beautifully crafted and highly detailed art works. The quality I aspire to create is not only one of technical excellence, but also one of emotional elevation. I hope that those who view my work and choose to live with it will experience upliftment.” - Zaan Claassens
The art of Zaan Claassens is a celebration of life. In this exhibition, the artist's primary focus is on water: what happens on its surface, how it varies, how light plays on it, how its moods change.
Venue: StateoftheART, 61 Shortmarket Street, Cape TownDate: 05 May 2016 till 21 May 2016Contact: Jennifer on 0724709272 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The exhibition will run concurrently online at www.stateoftheart-gallery.com for those unable to attend.
About Zaan Claassens
Artist and sculptor Zaan Claassens was born in South Africa in 1970. As a child she moved from Pietermaritzburg to Pretoria to Rustenburg to Jeffries Bay to Stellenbosch to Harare, finally settling in Cape Town. She spent her last year of school in Oxford, Ohio as an exchange student and then returned to Stellenbosch, where she completed a BA Degree in Graphic Design. For the next decade she lived in Northern Alberta, followed by a couple of years thawing out on the Island of Saipan. Zaan currently divides her time between South Africa and Canada. In South Africa she reside next to the Atlantic Ocean in a suburb nestled between the Twelve Apostles, Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and the Ocean. It is truly one of the most beautiful places on the planet. In Canada I live right next to the Thames River that meanders through London, Ontario and into Lake St. Clair.
About StateoftheART
StateoftheART is South Africa's first bricks-and-clicks gallery where you will discover an exclusive selection of carefully curated art by top emerging artists from around South Africa. Our virtual platform is complemented by the brick-and-mortar StateoftheART gallery in Cape Town; an intimate space in which we regularly host exhibitions and where art lovers can enjoy a dynamic selection of contemporary art for sale by our represented artists.
