Meet the artist who turned water into a metaphor for life

The Citizen

3 days ago

Cape Town-based artist Adele van Heerden recently showcased her mesmerising work at The Blue House in Parkwood, part of the David Krut Projects. Her beautiful blend of memory, water, and emotion offers a window into her soul, as well as a journey that began in childhood, nurtured by a family who recognised her talent and encouraged her to pursue a career in fine arts. Her education was a holistic blend of technical discipline, academic rigour, and curatorship.
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A pivotal turning point in her career was a personal connection to water. What started as a necessity for rehabilitation evolved into a deep fascination. The waterscapes she explored became a powerful metaphor for her inner world and a period of intense personal transformation. The act of swimming allowed her to explore concepts of fluidity, healing, and change, visually articulating the feeling of being in water and its ability to shift and nurture.
Van Heerden's art often explores dualities and unresolved questions, transforming external waterscapes into moments of personal exploration. She reconsiders the line between the external and internal worlds, emphasising sensation over representation. Her unique reverse-painting technique is a crucial part of this process. She begins with a photograph, then uses pastel on translucent drafting film, adding gouache and acrylic to the reverse side, and, finally, accents of aerosol to accentuate light and tonalities. This method beautifully layers her captured memories with a rich internal landscape.
Residencies in Paris, Germany, and Johannesburg, which she considers vital for self-exploration and creative inquiry, have enriched her journey. During these periods, she has been able to slow down, digitally detox, and re-evaluate personal narratives. Her time in Germany, for instance, sparked a deep fascination with limnology, the study of lakes, and a desire to connect with the local history and people.
Van Heerden's work is a testament to the power of art to articulate the unseen and the unspoken. Rooted in personal experience and meticulously researched narratives, her paintings offer glimpses into her inner world, inviting viewers to reflect on their own. Her journey is a beautiful, flowing narrative of discovery, from a young girl sketching in her room to a celebrated artist exploring the depths of water, memory, and identity.
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