The La Motte Ateljee’s current seasonal exhibition is entitled Landmarks, focusing on the changing season with leatherwork and watercolour painting and will run until Sunday, 29 June.
Continuing the La Motte family’s passion for art, the Ateljee, meaning studio in Afrikaans, is a creative space to engage with artworks, artists and makers. With its second theme since opening in mid-December 2024, the Ateljee invites guests to enjoy an exhibition inspired by Autumn, to meet the makers, to experience the creative process, and even to participate in the creation.
Autumn is a season of quiet transition. After the rush of harvest, the land exhales, embracing stillness before the winter rains arrive. It is a moment of reflection, a natural landmark in the cycle of seasons. This exhibition explores the idea of landmarks through two distinct yet deeply connected materials: leather and watercolour. Each, in its own way, marks time, preserves history and tells a story of the land.
Leather, shaped by skilled artisans, carries the weight of tradition. The same hands that craft some of the beautiful and bespoke leather goods in the La Motte Farm Shop are also masters of equestrian leatherwork. Their craft reflects an understanding and love for the medium and celebrates the unique ability of leather to strengthen with age and tell a story with the imprints of time.
Watercolour, in contrast, serves as a precise and interpretive lens, capturing the botanical richness, symbolic elements and architectural details of La Motte with meticulous observation. Each brushstroke, layered with intention, preserves moments in time to document the land.
Together, these materials speak to the rhythms of nature and craftsmanship, one shaped by the elements, the other by careful study. Just as La Motte’s farm, vineyards and artistic heritage intertwine, so too do these traditions, marking landmarks in time and honouring the land and those who work with it.
Visitors to the La Motte Ateljee can expect warm, earthy tones and textures reminiscent of rich soil and the full-bodied hue of red wine, marking a seasonal shift and a landmark in time. The exhibition also includes a series of engaging workshops, and visitors can purchase products crafted by the featured artists at the La Motte Farm Shop.
Artists featured in Landmarks include:
- Faber Collective – Leatherwork
- Claudia Faber – Botanical watercolour painting
- Libby Bell – Detailed observational painting
- Jolene Olivier – Raw pigment watercolour painting on canvas
- Sera Holland – Painterly ceramics
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Picture: Supplied
