// Adele Van Heerden
// Artist Biography
Adele Van Heerden b. 1989
Adele van Heerden (b. 1989) is a painter living and working in Cape Town, South Africa. Van Heerden’s practice, characterised by her use of pencil and gouache on drafting film, is informed by the experience of a particular site or place. Her recent body of work, ‘Mirror’ was dedicated to the careful observation and study of surface, light, reflection and fluidity. Van Heerden graduated with a diploma in Fine Art from Ruth Prowse School of Art (2010), a BA in History, Politics and Art History from the University of South Africa (2014), and an Honours in Curatorship from the University of Cape Town (2015).
Solo exhibitions include Mirror (2024), Oceanic (2023) and Inside/Outside (2021) at 131 A Gallery (Cape Town), Field Trip at David Krut Projects (Johannesburg, 2022), The Secret Life of Plants at Rust en Vrede (Cape Town, 2022), Infinite Detail at Lizamore & Associates (Johannesburg, 2021) and In Memoriam at AVA Gallery (Cape Town, 2018). Van Heerden's work has been included in group exhibitions at Gallery MOMO (Cape Town), 131 A Gallery (Cape Town), Academie Galerie (Munich), David Krut Projects (Johannesburg), Reshape 22: Future Art Histories (Latitudes Online), The UNESCO Centre (Paris), Lizamore & Associates (Johannesburg), Salon 91 (Cape Town), Gallery 2 (Johannesburg) and 99 Loop Gallery (Cape Town).
Her work has also been shown at the Cape Town Art Fair (2022), Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg (2018, 2019) and notable exhibitions at the Woordfees Arts Festival, Stellenbosch (2019 & 2023) and the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Oudtshoorn (2020). Van Heerden has completed residencies at Cité Internationale des Arts Paris (2020, 2023), Cape Town Art Residency (2024) and David Krut Projects (2021)
Van Heerden has served as a member of the board of the Arts Association of Bellville, Cape Town (2018–2019) and the Friends of the Iziko South African National Gallery (2019–2024).
// Artist Statement
I am interested in the relationships between built, human-made and natural environments, design and art, as well as abstraction and figuration. My goal is to capture a moment, give shape to the experience and connect with the feeling of a place.
My work, predominantly centred around urban, natural landscapes, waterscapes and interior spaces has recently expanded into a visual exploration of the interplay between water and light. Water is a substance that affects light, refracting and reflecting it. As a swimmer, I am drawn to municipal pools and coastal shorelines, using my body, sketchbook, and camera to observe and engage. There is an autobiographical component to my practice, a sort of abstracted narration I explore through translating this experience. Painting water started when I was diagnosed with a hip condition that demanded surgery and a lot of rehabilitation. Swimming is an embodied experience for me, where the body serves as a sensory apparatus through which revelations are made.
// Artist CV
2024 - ‘Mirror’ solo exhibition, 131 A Gallery, Cape Town, An Ode To Autumn group exhibition, 131 A Gallery, Cape Town
2023 - ‘Oceanic’ solo exhibition, 131 A Gallery, Cape Town, Summer group exhibition, 131 A Gallery, Cape Town
2022 - Summer Trio Exhibition, 131 A Gallery, Cape Town, Deep Space Trio Exhibition, 131 A Gallery, Cape Town,
2021 - ‘INSIDE/OUTSIDE’ Solo Exhibition 131 A Gallery, Cape Town; 1 Month Residency at David Krut Works, Johannesburg; Infinite Detail Solo Exhibition Lizamore and Associates, Johannesburg; ‘CODE’ Group Exhibition 131 A Gallery, Cape Town; ‘Genius Loci’ Group Exhibition StateoftheArt Gallery
2020 – 'Spaceship Home' 131 A Gallery, Cape Town; 50ty50ty Collaborative Screen Print Project, Cape Town; Vanishing Act, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Outdshoorn; ‘Home Is Where The Art Is’, ZEITZ MOCAA, Cape Town; 'Hold Fast' Solo Exhibition Hosted On Artist Website; 'Ille Digital #7', Akadamiegalerie, Munich; 'Phantasmagoria' Lizamore Gallery, Johannesburg; 'A Hazy Shade Of Winter' Salon 91, Cape Town; ‘Assimilate’ 131 A Gallery Cape Town, 3 Month Residency, Cité des Arts, Paris.
2019 - 'Unresolved Category' Gallery MOMO, Cape Town; 'Wildflowers', Salon 91, Cape Town; 'Hyper Attribute' Red Room Gallery at Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg; 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow' Print Portfolio Exhibition, Woordfees, Stellenbosch; 'Botanica II', Art.b Gallery, Bellville, 'Winter Salon' Bag Factory, Johannesburg.
2018 – ‘In Memoriam’ Solo Exhibition at AVA Galleries, Cape Town; 'State of the Art Gallery Award - Finalists Exhibition' State of the Art Gallery, Cape Town; 'Folklore' Salon 91, Cape Town; “Midnight” Salon 91 at Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg; 'Botanica' Art.b Gallery, Cape Town; 'Between Figuration and Abstraction' Dyman Contemporary, Stellenbosch,
2017 – ‘Dialogues’ State of the Art, Cape Town; ‘Winter Exhibition’ DF Contemporary, Cape Town; ‘Monumxnts’ The Gallery @ Taj, Cape Town
2016 – ‘Mono/Lino’ at Art B., Belville; '50/50' at DF Contemporary, Cape Town; ‘Vanitas’ and ‘Untitled 3.99’ at 99 Loop Gallery, Cape Town
2015 – ‘Persistence of Memory and Cabinet of Curiosities’ at Untitled Studios, Cape Town; ‘Drawing the Line’ at Art B., Belville; ‘Welcome to my Garden’ Space Between Gallery, Cape Town.
2014 – ‘Golden Haze’ at Salon91 Cape Town
2013 – ‘Anatomy for Life’, group exhibition, Brighton, U.K.
EDUCATION
2016 - BA Honours in Curatorship. University of Cape Town: Centre for Curating the Archive
2015 - BA in History & Political Science. University of South Africa
2010 - Fine Art Diploma. Ruth Prowse School of Art
COMPETITIONS
2021 SA Wine and Beer Label Awards: Silver Award For Collaboration with RHBC
2019 SA Wine and Beer Label Awards: Silver Award For Collaboration w/ Lieven Wine & Sprits 2018 StateoftheArt Gallery Award Finalist (Second Place)
OTHER PROJECTS
2021 - Residency. David Krut Projects, Johannesburg, South Africa
2020 - Residency. Cité Internationale Des Arts, Paris, France
Print Collaboration. 50ty50ty Prints, Cape Town, South Africa
2019 - Committee. Friends of Iziko South African National Gallery
Curator. Botanica II, Art.b Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Curator. New Guard Group exhibition, Art.b Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2019-2018 - Committee. Association of Visual Arts Bellville (Art.b Gallery), Cape Town, South Africa 2018 Curator. Botanica Group exhibition, Art.b Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. Curator. Between Figuration & Abstraction Group exhibition, Dyman Contemporary, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2015-2017 - Gallery Manager. South African Print Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2015 - Curator. Persistence of Memory Group exhibition, Untitled Studios, Cape Town, South Africa
INTERNSHIPS
2015 Michaelis Galleries
2014 Spier Arts Trust, Nandos Art Initiative and The Creative Block Project