A Month of Firsts for Inge Semple
Inge Semple is excited and honoured to be participating in two concurrent exhibitions!
“Ukubalisa” on the 9th Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2022 bus route; and “Fabriano in Acquarello” February-May 2022 International Online Exhibition.
“Ukubalisa” National and Cape Town Exhibition at Gallery One11, 111 Loop Street, from 9 February - 9 March 2022, on the bus route for the 2022 Investec Cape Town Art Fair, which will be on from Friday 18 - Sunday 20 February at Cape Town International Convention Centre, Lower Burg Street, Cape Town.
I am exhibiting in this group show including an Eastern Cape artist, Sal Price, a German photographer who lives here, Rein Langeveld, a Russian artist, Anastasia Nikolsky and local national artists including Vivien Kohler.
“Ukubalisa”, Xhosa for story teller or narrator, aims to to put the spotlight on narrative art and how this genre can serve as catalyst for social dialogue. Narrative art tells stories, relates insights and provides a visual voice to social discourse and circumstance. Each artist’s “ibali”, or story, rendered in their unique style and mark making transports and beckons the viewer in a non-threatening and almost playful way to consider alternative perspectives and join the dialogue.
My work, Paeonia and Chironomid Midge, 2021, is one of the first floral artworks I have done in the spirit of the old Dutch masters under the mentorship of Carlo Russo. The frame is inspired by the beautiful, old Dutch ripple frames, and has a hand applied gold leaf inner lip, beautifully done by “Made by Hand.”
This piece portrays the transient beauty of delicate objects, depicting an exotic Chinese peony, found and bought in Cape Town, and its endemic entomological visitor, a midge, from my Newlands garden which is visiting the flower, with a special interest in surface texture, translucency and light. This piece is juxtaposed in show with Drummond Murphy’s exotic still-lifes which also celebrate an eclectic mix of local and exotic cultures.
The 9th Investec Cape Town Art Fair, opening this coming weekend 18-20 February 2022 in one of the world’s most unique art capitals, has over 107 exhibitors, from near and far in Africa and Europe. It is a great way to see a lot of South African contemporary art in one place at a wide range of prices. Free buses will be running to galleries in Town, Woodstock and the Waterfront, including Gallery One11 at 111 Loop Street, from 6pm on Friday 18 February. People interested in using the bus, should keep their VIP pass or ticket to the fair, to make use of the bus.
FabrianoinAquarello, 2022, the world’s largest yearly international watercolour exposition and convention will be happening in Fabriano, Italy in May 2022.
This international watercolour exposition and conference started in 2010 and is held in Fabriano, an Italian city in the Marche region that gave birth to paper in Europe. The city of Fabriano, along with Milan, hosts many international visitors, artists, collectors, professionals, students and those interested in watermedia painting without competition. This is the first year Southern African artists will be participating.
I am excited that three of my current watercolour students, Barbara Mayers, Tess Hawke and Naseema Barday, are participating with me in the exhibition. We are a small studio team of 4 out of the larger Southern African contingent of 26, including South Africa, Mauritius, Malawi and Uganda.
Our work is up to view on https://www.internationalwatercolormuseum.com/kennedy/fabrianoinacquerello/index.php and will remain up for the duration of the convention. I believe the work currently produced in my teaching studio is of a very high standard and I’m excited to introduce my students to a wider audience.
Our works were all painted during November and December 2021 and reflect a wide variety of themes.
Barbara’s work explores the relationship of man versus nature in Tulbagh - “A Winter Snow Scene.”
Tess’s work portrays the beauty of the African bush in “African Glow”.
Naseema’s work finds beauty in the decay of an old palace in Rawalpindi, Pakistan in her piece, “ Forgotten Glory, Irreverent Time”.
My Fabriano submission piece was a commissioned painting undertaken at the end of 2021 and is called “ Fish Hoek Wave”, and reflects the transient beauty and power of Southern Cape coastal seascapes.
