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South African artist Gabrielle Kruger has developed an artistic practice that pushes the conventions of traditional painting. She experiments with acrylic paint as a dynamic medium by blurring the boundaries between painting and sculpture. 

 

Kruger has developed a process where the paint mimics the viscosity of glue when wet and the elasticity of rubber when dry. By extruding and drying pieces of paint to assemble the painting, the paint becomes a collaging material. Drawn to the malleability of her chosen medium, the artist pushes and plays with the limits of acrylic paint. In her process of layering, weaving, scraping, cutting, collaging and folding, she allows the paint to develop its own language. Each element becomes a new brushstroke; a new type of mark making, that becomes part of intricate and sculptural compositions that go beyond traditional painting techniques.

 

Kruger finds inspiration from the natural environment; landscape scenery and the plants in gardens both wild and tamed. The idea of a socially and materially constructed landscape informs her work in both an abstract and figurative way. Through her investigation into the materiality of acrylic paint as a type of plastic, she re-imagines a landscape that transcends the boundaries of simulation and reality, drawing attention to the plasticity of our contemporary world and challenging perceptions of what really comprises the natural environment.

 

Gabrielle Kruger (b. 1993) lives and works in Cape Town.

(Photographed by Mia Thom, 2024.)

EXTENDED CV

REWARDS + RESIDENCIES

2023

 

2019

 

 

2018

Artist in residence at GlogauAIR

Berlin (Germany)

 

Artist in residence at Nirox Sculpture Park

Cradle of Humakind, Johannesburg (South Africa)

Certificate of Excellence from the 33rd Chelsea International Fine Art Competition

New York (USA)

EDUCATION

2018

2015

Masters of Fine Art (with distinction)

Michaelis School of Fine Art, The University of Cape Town (South Africa)

Bachelors of Fine Art (cum laude)

Visual Art Department, University of Stellenbosch (South Africa)

SOLO PRESENTATIONS

2024

2023

2022

wind swept paint, EIGEN + ART Lab

Berlin, Germany

Paint Innings, Brundyn Arts + Culture at Boschendal Gallery

Franschhoek, South Africa

Fifty Sounds, a three story exhibition of works by Gabrielle Kruger, Georgina Gratrix and Mongezi Ncaphayi

Gallery Kiche, Seoul, Korea

2020

Wait the Line, Smac Gallery, Cape Town

2019

For Paint to Dry, Smac Gallery,

Stellenbosch (South Africa)

Gucci Garden of Eden; A performance of Wearable Paintings by Gabrielle Kruger

Performed by the Cape Academy of Performing Arts, curated by Elana Brundyn and Louw Kotzé

Norval Foundation, Steenberg (South Africa)

 

OvergrowthMarta Moriarty Art Window,

Madrid (Spain)

 

Performance Painting: An African adaptation of Midsummer Night's Dream

in Collaboration with The National School of the Arts and Nirox Foundation, scenography and Costumes by Gabrielle Kruger, direction by Laine Butler and production by The National School of the Arts.

Nirox Sculpture Park, Johannesburg (South Africa)

2018

Garden Smoothie, a collaborative presentation by Marlene Steyn and Gabrielle Kruger, Smac Gallery

Stellenbosch (South Africa)

Artist Highlight: Gabrielle Kruger 

Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg (South Africa)

Ungrounding Landscape; Masters Graduate Exhibition by Gabrielle Kruger

Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town (South Africa)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS & PRESENTATIONS

2023

Monochrome, Brundyn Arts & Culture

Boschendal x Brundyn gallery, Boschendal (South Africa)

 

GlogauAir Open Studios

GlogauAir, Berlin (Germany)

Mixed Media, Eigen + Art Gallery

Leipzig (Germany)

Chromatic Horizons, Oude Leeskamer

Stellenbosch (South Africa)

Eigen + Art Gallery's Booth Presentation at Investec Cape Town Art Fair 10th Edition 2023

Cape Town Convention Centre, Cape Town (South Africa)

under~water~love pop-up exhibition by Eigen + Art Gallery

Under Projects, Cape Town (South Africa)

2022

Lush, Cavalli Gallery

Somerset West (South Africa)

Inner Landscapes, Bloom Galerie

Geneva (Switzerland)

 

Kindred, Boschendal Norval Art Gallery

Franschhoek (South Africa)

 

Gallery Kiche's Booth Presentation at Artbusan 

Busan (Korea)

 

Within the Fold, SMAC Gallery

Johannesburg: Stellenbosch (South Africa)

 

Smac Gallery's Booth Presentation at Investec Cape Town Art Fair

Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town (South Africa)

 

Space and Place Vol 2, Pop-Up Exhibition, curated by Khanya Mashabela

Galerie EIGEN + ART, Buitenkant Street, Cape Town (South Africa)

2021

Unfair Weather, Lychee One

London (UK)

 

Weekend Special, Cape Town Art Weekend, SMAC Gallery

Cape Town (South Africa)

 

Smac Gallery's Booth Presentation at FNB Art Joburg,

Johannesburg (South Africa)

 

40 UNDER 40, BMW x Whatiftheworld Gallery x Krone Cap Classique

Twee Jongen Gezellen, Tulbach (South Africa)

 

THE LONG TABLE, SMAC Gallery

Stellenbosch (South Africa)

 

Space and Place, curated by Khanya Mashabela, Galerie EIGEN + ART

Leipzig (Germany)

 

Biophylia, Cavalli Gallery

Stellenbosch, (South Africa)

2020

Smac Gallery's Online Booth Presentation, Artissima Art Fair

Turin (Italy)

 

A Show of Solidarity, SMAC Gallery

Cape Town (South Africa)

 

SHAPING THINGS: An exploration of clay and ceramics in contemporary South African art practice, SMAC Gallery

Stellenbosch (South Africa)

 

Smac Gallery's Booth Presentation, Investec Cape Town Art Fair

Cape Town International Convention Centre (South Africa)

Matereality, Iziko South African National Gallery

Cape Town (South Africa)

2019

arteBOTANICA, Nirox Foundation

A performance painting performed by students from The National School of The Arts and music by Thubatsi Maloy.

Nirox Sculpture Park, Cradle of Humankind, Johannesburg (South Africa)

The Female Line, SMAC Gallery

Cape Town (South Africa)

Smac Gallery's Booth Presentation at FNB Art Joburg

Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg (South Africa)
 

Unresolved Categories, Gallery MOMO

Cape Town (South Africa)

What Do Painters Do All Day, BKHZ Studio

Johannesburg (South Africa)

2018

The 33rd Chelsea International Fine Art Competition, a group exhibition by the collective award winners

Agora Gallery, New York (USA)

 

Intersection, a group exhibition including works by Gabriel Choto, Gabrielle Kruger and Neo Matloga

Tyburn Gallery, London (United Kingdom)

2017

SS17 Group Exhibtion, Gallery Momo

Cape Town (South Africa)

Lady Bush, Cavalli Gallery

Cavalli Wine and Stud Farm, Somerset West (South Africa)

Between t[here] and then here and there, Michaelis Galleries

Cape Town (South Africa)

Jan van Riebeeck High School Alumni exhibition along with the Frank Kilbourne and Pieter G Colyn historical art collections from the 50s and 70s. 

Welgemeend Manor House, Cape Town (South Africa)

Growing Gatherings, an exhibition by Gabrielle Kruger and Kevin Frankental, 99 Loop Gallery

Cape Town (South Africa)

Naturalis | Neo Exhibition, Neo Venue Space

Bainskloof Pass, Wellington (South Africa)

Growing Matter, Academic Review Exhibition by Gabrielle Kruger, Michaelis School of Fine Art

The University of Cape Town, Cape Town (South Africa)

2016

Kingdom, Cavalli Gallery

Cavalli Stud and Wine Farm, Somerset West (South Africa)

Untitled 3.99, 99 Loop Gallery

Cape Town (South Africa)

2015

GRADEX 2015, Class of 2015 Graduate Exhibition

Curated by Gabrielle Kruger and Pierre Vermeulen.

The Visual Art Department of Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch (South Africa)

 

Growing Intrusions, Graduate Exhibition by Gabrielle Kruger

The Visual Art Department of Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch (South Africa).

Intrusion: an Exhibition | Questions of Contamination and Symbiosis, Solo Academic Exhibition by Gabrielle Kruger

The Visual Art Department of Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch (South Africa).

Dreams Amongst Other Things, Salon 91 Gallery

Cape Town (South Africa)

Scape , The Visual Art Department

 Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch (South Africa).

2014

Drive Through Thursday, a public drawing flashmob performance as part of Kunste Donderdag

Curated by Vulindlela Nyoni and Frances Byers

Stellenbosch (South Africa)

Draw Through Thursday, a drawing performance 

Curated by Vulindlela Nyoni and Lucy Turpin

The Visual Art Department of Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch (South Africa).

Red Bull Doodle Sessions In Collaboration with Draw Maw

Curated by Gabrielle Kruger and Sune Vosloo

PJ Olivier Art Centre, Stellenbosch (South Africa)

Redbull Studio Sessions

Curated by Pierre Vermeulen.

PJ Olivier Art Centre, Stellenbosch (South Africa)

2013

The Life of an Object

The Visual Art Department of Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch (South Africa).

The Poetics of Space

The Visual Art Department of Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch (South Africa).

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