Renowned artist Adele van Heerden is opening her latest exhibition, ‘Mirror’. This visual exploration, born out of a year-long journey that began during her residency at Cite Internationle des Arts in Paris, shows an interplay between water, light and the reflective nature of aquatic spaces.
During her stay in Paris, Van Heerden dived into her research, embraced the art of swimming and painted the city’s iconic swimming pools as part of the ongoing A La Piscine project.
Upon returning to her Cape Town home, the artist redirected her focus to the coastal shorelines and the Long Street Baths municipal swimming pool.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city, at half the price? Get exclusive offers here.
As a devoted swimmer herself, Van Heerden intimately connects with these aquatic spaces, employing her body, sketchbook and camera to observe and engage.
The exhibition’s title, ‘Mirror,’ encapsulates its central theme – the water’s surface as a tangible mirror reflecting the surrounding elements.
Whether it be the sky, weather, rocks or architectural structures, this mirror reveals hidden worlds beneath the water when clear. Metaphorically, it extends to the idea of people as mirrors to each other, exploring the human act of seeing and being seen.
Also read: Maynardville Open-Air Theatre presents Romeo & Juliet
In addition to van Heerden’s signature pastel, colour pencil, ink and gouache on film technique, ‘Mirror’ introduces her latest printmaking explorations in collaboration with Cape Town print studios.
Monotypes created with Georgina Berens at Loft Editions and the artist’s first lithograph with Stephen Inggs at The Print Kitchen add a new dimension to her art.
A series within the exhibition, ‘Modulations,’ delves into the distortions and abstractions of shapes within swimming pools. Van Heerden freezes the lines of tiles, lanes and the interior architecture of pools in time, capturing the essence of these spaces.
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under R100 000. Find car listings here.
Van Heerden’s work, bridging built and natural environments, design and art, and abstraction and figuration, encourages viewers to contemplate the layers above and below the waterline.
Details:
- Dates: 3 February to 1 March 2024
- Location: 131 A Gallery, 131 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock
- Times: Weekdays 10am to 4pm | Saturdays 10am to 3pm
- Website: 131agallery.com
Also read:
Picture: Adele van Heerden