/ Current Exhibitions

North Gallery

Lynette ten Krooden
Travelling with a spoon

22 October to 14 November
Open day: Saturday 24 October 2020 from 10h00 to 13h00

In Travelling with a spoon Lynette ten Krooden will be exhibiting a collection of her studio gems - pieces that have adorned the walls of her house and studio over the last 40 years. Some are unsold pieces from previous exhibitions, some have never been shown. There is a collection of different mediums and executions on different surfaces. Thoughts over time and space as well as hidden messages will hang together with some new pieces from the lockdown series she labels her ‘Time of Plenty’.

Lynette ten Krooden is a highly celebrated artist - both locally and internationally. She studied at the University of Pretoria, worked at Pact, was head of the Graphic Design section of the Human Research Council and after the birth of her sons, lectured at the Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Pretoria.

‘Experimenting with different mediums has always been part of my journey. Goldleaf has a mysterious luminescent quality and carries my fingerprints in the folds and textures of canvas and paper. Oil painting, inks and watercolours remain popular techniques to play with’, she says of her work.

Ten Krooden is a well travelled artist: apart from having had several sojourns at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, she has been to Jordan, Dubai, Oman, Timbuktu, Vietnam and Fiji. She has always been interested in archaeology and believes that it has also had an influence on her work. In 1990 her work was accepted at the Majlis Gallery in Dubai and for the past 30 years they represented her in the Northern Hemisphere, exhibiting in Florence, Cairo and Singapore.

The exhibition runs from 22 October till 14 November with an open day on Saturday 24 October 2020 from 10h00 to 13h00.

Main Gallery

Carl Jeppe
15 October to 31 October 2020
Open day on Saturday 17 October 2020 from 10h00 to 13h00

The work on this exhibition is the result of two “lost years.” In 2019 I was flattened by a case of Shingles that put me out of action for four months. 2020 of course was, and still is, the year of the virus. Without exception, I feel sure, everyone in every corner the planet got a little closer to confronting the reality of their mortality. In my latest work I look at cracks opening in the fabric of the earth. They are perhaps metaphors for the cracks in society. In a global pandemic, first prize would be if everyone pools their resources and skills, and pulls together to try to find the most effective way of dealing with the problem; of saving lives and of staying safely out of harm’s way. But no, so many conspiracy theories and so much international finger pointing and bickering. It seems the human race is simply bent upon being nasty, any way they can. The cracks, crevices and fissures in my work demonstrate that, from an international perspective right down to personal relationships, we are often on shaky ground.

Gallery Chaton

Adele Potgieter
Transfigure

15 October to 31 October 2020

I have a strong affinity for pattern, sentimental objects, botanical specimens, insects, birdlife and found items such as interesting seed pods, feathers and sculls. Still life painting is the genre where my ideas and findings enjoy full expression. For me there is poetry in exploring how objects relate and create interesting visual connections when placed in proximity to each other. My camera is an important tool in this process and, over time, I’ve accumulated a library of digital photographs. With the aid of digital tools and collage, I’m able to generate endless new compositions.

In the past my works were more traditional in the sense that I tried to render a complete three-dimensional space. A few years ago, I started using flat lay photography and Trompe-l'oeil style compositions, thereby creating a more contemporary feel in my work.

My current body of work is focused on the mirroring of my digital collages. I had been pondering the process for quite some time, but the feelings of impending chaos and uncertainty brought about by the pandemic prompted me into action. In the new works there is a strong reference to Rorschach cards, which are traditionally used by psychiatrists to determine the underlying psychological state of a patient. My aim was to reverse its often grim associations, where the mirrored image becomes a manifestation of all the things I yearn for: hope, focus, growth, healing, and grace. The final works executed in oil on canvas act as little tributes to life, renewal, growth and abundance.

Potter of the month

the SOAPBOX challenge pop-up exhibition
10 October to 17 October 2020

Ceramic artists from all over Gauteng took inspiration from the theme of 'Washing your hands' and collaborated to exhibit the largest installation of more than 300 handmade ceramic soap dishes at the Association of Arts Pretoria.

This exhibition gives you the opportunity to acquire functional pieces of art created by acclaimed ceramic artists for a giveaway price of only R150 a piece.