Kate Arthur is a South African artist whose creative practice includes painting, drawing, printmaking, installation and performance.  While she maintains a longstanding interest in portraiture, identity politics and representations of the body, her recent work moves increasingly into abstraction, exploring concepts and emotions through process-led work, valuing intuition, experimentation and play.  She has exhibited in various group shows around the country and in 2017 she won first and second place in the Sanlam National Portrait Award. 

RESIDENCIES & COMPETITIONS

 

2019     Drawing Research Residency, L’AiR Arts/DRAWinternational, Paris/Caylus

2017     Sanlam Portrait Award (winner), Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town

2016     Barclays L’Atelier Western Cape Exhibition (regional finalist), Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town

2015     Sanlam Portrait Award (Top 40), Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town

2008     ABSA L’Atelier Awards (finalist), Johannesburg

             Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum Biennale (finalist), Port Elizabeth

2007     Sasol New Signatures Competition (finalist), Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria

2006     Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum Biennale (finalist), Port Elizabeth

 

 

EXHIBITIONS & FAIRS

 

2021    

Summer Group Show, Everard Read / CIRCA, Cape Town

Site Visit, curated by Clare Patrick, L’Air Arts (online)

2020

Midland (solo), Everard Read / CIRCA, Cape Town

The Portrait Show, curated by Musa Nxumalo, Everard Read / CIRCA, Johannesburg

Another kind of blue, curated by Amé Bell, David Krut Projects, KKNK (online)

Art for Books: The Clarke’s Bookshop Fundraising Auction, Clarke's Bookshop (online)

2019    

In the flesh (solo), Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town

The invisible realm of possibility, curated by John McNorton, FIAP Jean Monnet, Paris

Gloss (installation), Infecting the City: Public Arts Festival, ICA, Cape Town

Kind of blue, David Krut Projects, Johannesburg

Anon, curated by Sarah Jayne Fell, Pop Up Place, Cape Town

2018

Saltwater (solo), Cubicle Series, Everard Read / CIRCA, Cape Town

Sunday Service, curated by Heinrich Groenewald & Brett Charles Seiler, GUS, Stellenbosch

BOTANICA, curated by Adele van Heerden, Art.b Gallery, Cape Town

SAME SAME, Gallery One11, Cape Town

Body Politic: Transformation (performance), Theatre Arts Admin Collective, Cape Town

Rain Dance, The Voorkamer Gallery, Chandler House, Cape Town

Cape Town Art Fair, Clarke's Bookshop, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town

2017

People and Portraiture, Everard Read/CIRCA, Cape Town

Array, curated by Isabella Kuijers, The Gallery at Taj, Cape Town

A Panel of Patrons, Julia Meintjes Fine Art, Tokara Winery, Stellenbosch

Potblou Blou Pot, Woordfees Festival, Stellenbosch University Gallery, Stellenbosch

Cape Town Art Fair, Warren Editions, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town

2016    

Things you can tell (solo), The Voorkamer Gallery, Chandler House, Cape Town

HB, The Voorkamer Gallery, Chandler House, Cape Town

Fugly, The Voorkamer Gallery, Chandler House, Cape Town

Opening Exhibition, Loading Bay Gallery, Durban

BUZZART2016, KZNSA Gallery, Durban

Turbine Art Fair, Warren Editions, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg

2015

P!nk, The Voorkamer Gallery, Chandler House, Cape Town
Anthropology III, Breathing Space Gallery, Durban
Min of meer ’n meermin, Kamersvol Geskenke, City Hall, Cape Town
He sells seascapes by the seashore, The Voorkamer Gallery, Chandler House, Cape Town

Wet Paint, The Voorkamer Gallery, Chandler House, Cape Town
Frida Mash-Up, Alex Hamilton Studio Gallery, Cape Town

THAT ART FAIR, Salt River Parkade, Cape Town

2014    

Drawingrooms (solo), City Soirée, Cape Town
Open City Vol. II, Church Square, Cape Town

2008    Epicene (performance) by Joni Barnard, New Voices Program, National Arts Festival, Makhanda

2007    Rhodes University Student Exhibition, Department of Fine Art, National Arts Festival, Makhanda

2006    stART Exhibition (co-curator), Student Arts Festival, St Aidan’s Cathedral, Makhanda
2005    Rhodes University Student Exhibition, Department of Fine Art, National Arts Festival, Makhanda
2004    Rhodes University Student Exhibition, Department of Fine Art, National Arts Festival, Makhanda

 

 

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SELECTED ONLINE MEDIA

2018    Jameson Indie Channel, 'Love over fear: Kate Arthur paints tributes to queer bodies'

2017    NBC OUT, 'South African artist furthers queer visibility with body portraits'

2016    Between 10and5, 'Painting queer bodies in Kate Arthur’s latest work'

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