CLAUDIA GURWITZ
ABOUT THE ARTIST
“Attention to detail is vital to me. I have always observed the detail of structure and shapes in nature; the parts that make the whole. Through a micro-setting, I capture a magnified perspective of seemingly unremarkable plant matter, which I term ‘micro-landscapes’.
It is in this detail that my painting exposes the sacred geometry of each form and explores the relationships between these structures. Through my painting I have always experienced the intrinsic unity that pervades nature. This gives me a sense that we live in a beautiful and orderly world.”
My most recent body of work was born during S.A.’s Lockdown and explores ‘interrupted’ plant imagery. What stemmed from the feeling of collective disharmony that disturbs our existence during this Covid pandemic, has led to a new direction in my painting.
As organic beings in this world, we are an integral part of our natural world. While humanity feels off centre during this time, we are having to find new ways of navigating this altered reality, of engaging with each other and with our environment. While we feel a disconnect, our environment, in turn, feels out of sync. These paintings allude to a subtly distorted perspective of natural form, reflective of a disrupted environment.
My interrupted compositions are composed through a process of deconstructing, cropping and isolating my subject matter. I further reassemble and realign this imagery in fragments. This reconstructed plant matter disjoins these vital structures, redefining my plant imagery. In this way I create a revised hyper-real landscape which is slightly unhinged.
While these paintings express our disconnected reality, I also find a surprising beauty in their distortion. These slightly uncomfortable combinations give the viewer pause. Perhaps this alternate beauty reflects nature’s resilience and power to heal. There is hope and inspiration as we reshape our new normal.
In 1996, after completing 2 years towards a BAFA at Michaelis, UCT, Claudia left the University to do her Yoga teacher’s training and completed national certifications in various therapeutic disciplines. Since 1997 Claudia has run her own established yoga centres in Cape Town and Riebeek Kasteel.
In 2005 Claudia returned to painting and a three-year mentorship under Julia Teale at Spencer Street Studio.
In 2007 Claudia embraced working as a professional artist, adopting Riebeek Kasteel as her hometown.
In 2008 Julia Teale curated and hosted Claudia’s first solo exhibition, ‘PLANT’.
In 2010 Claudia won the SASA (South African Society of Artists) Merit Award.
In 2012 Claudia had her 2nd solo exhibition, ‘Rooted’, at the Irma Stern Museum.
2016 exhibited at Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg.
2016-2019 Claudia participated alongside the other local Riebeek artists in the annual collaborative art event, Solo Studios.
In 2019 Claudia returned to Cape Town where she now lives and creates.
In 2021 Claudia had her 3rd solo exhibition, ‘Interrupted’, at the Association for Visual Arts (The AVA Gallery).
In 2022 Lizamore & Associates hosted Claudia’s 4th solo exhibition, ‘Adaptation’, in Johannesburg. Claudia’s work features in collections such as Old Mutual, Spier Estate, University of Cape Town, Countess Antonia Labia Hardres-Williams, Hout Bay Manor, The Bay Hotel, Qasar al Sarab Hotel in Abu Dhabi and Nando’s UK.
