The FynArts Gallery, The Courtyard, Harbour Road, Hermanus
28 October until 29 November 2021.
www.hermanusfynarts.co.za
Erica with Pollinating Honey Bee
The exhibition, by Andrée Bonthuys of Hemel en Aarde Valley, and Capetonian, Jenny Strong, will focus on the diversity we find ourselves lucky enough to be a part of. But, it also reminds us that all nature is fragile and as we destroy habitats, so we diminish ourselves.
Jenny, will be presenting oils on canvas, inspired by the fynbos in the Hemel en Aarde Valley. Andrée uses locally found organic materials to create both 2 and 3 dimensional works.
Jenny has a Fine Arts Degree from the University of Natal, 1974.
She has exhibited both painting and ceramics extensively over the years, winning various awards. She has works in private and public collections and has completed many private commissions.
After a hiatus, Jenny felt urged to paint again during the quiet of Covid .
Andrée graduated from The University of Stellenbosch in 1973 with a BA Languages. Art soon became just another language and she has won many awards, particularly in the 90’s, for her ceramic sculptures.
She has exhibited fairly extensively over the years, has been selected for various Artist Residencies, and has works in private and public collections globally. This is her second showing at the Fynarts Gallery.
Athanasia trifurcate and Fynbos Diptych
Hemel en Aarde, Space and Light
Spiky Fynbos
News shoots
Artist Statement by Jenny Strong August 2021
The paintings are about the fynbos that grows in the Hemel and Aarde Valley. I am painting to create an awareness of this natural beauty. There is an echo here of the voices that I feel. The external voices of the powerful and destructive urban creep, big business farming practices, alien aggressive invasive species and a general dismissal of fynbos by loud dominant voices. These voices, it seems to me, are part of what is destroying the fynbos natural wonder.
These paintings are based on what I see in the external world. Sometimes they are reimagined within my internal world. Sometimes, I feel that they are becoming, in a way, more like dreams. However I hope that with awareness, voices from me and whomever else uses their voice, there is a quiet hope in my internal voice that the natural wonder of the fynbos will be allowed to flourish.