About
Inge Brigitte Semple (born 1963 in Cape Town, South Africa) is an award-winning Cape artist who is a descendant of the earliest town and country inhabitants at the Cape of Good Hope, and her work is rooted in the Cape geography. All her childhood misdemeanours were art related. In 1985 Inge completed her undergraduate studies in Fine Art and Art Education at Stellenbosch University, majoring in painting oil and watercolour under Paul Emsley and Ellalou O’ Meara.
Also having attended numerous courses and workshops from 1987-2021, Inge was mentored by Carlo Russo, a modern realist master in 2020-2022. Carlo taught Inge to turn form through sight size and cast drawing, and painting thinly applied oils in the spirit and style of the old Dutch Golden Age masters.
A curious and experimental artist by nature, Inge is preoccupied with the depiction and dissolution of form through realism and impressionism, tackling all subjects. She works in oil, watercolour, charcoal, and pencil, and is currently researching silverpoint, and the techniques of the old Flemish and Dutch Golden Age masters.
Inge is primarily a thin paint artist and has a special interest in portraying texture, iridescence, colour, light and transparency, often depicting delicate and transient subject matter in a modern day Wunderkammer setting.
A move in 1992 to live in a historic forester’s cottage in Tokai forest, where she reared and home educated her two sons, inspired her to portray birds, insects, reptiles and small mammals that visited her large, wild garden, as well as found bird nests, fungi and flora endemic to Tokai. This gave birth to Inge’s paintings of local Cape fauna and flora. This has now widened to include various exotic and local flora and fauna.
Inge is also preoccupied with the interface between the natural world and the built environment, commenting on decay and renewal, and on historical and present day boundary making.
A fifth-generation teacher, Inge hosts workshops for adults around the Western Cape and private lessons in drawing and painting in her studio in Cape Town. Inge also enjoys regularly co-hosting collaborative workshops with colleagues, and has a special interest in teaching the rudiments of realist drawing, oils and watercolour at all levels.
Inge is a member of South African Society of Artists, Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa, and Watercolour Art Southern Africa.
Inge can be found at www.ingesemple.com, and on Instagram and Facebook @ingesempleart
Mujahid Ur Rehman made a beautifully crafted documentary about my life and career thus far. He is a superbly talented landscape photographer and documentary filmmaker from Pakistan, now living in Cape Town. Follow him on instagram or visit his website.
Artist CV
Profile: Inge SempleContact Details
(+27) 072 597 5275
ingesempleart@gmail.com
www.ingesemple.com
instagram.com/ingesempleart
facebook.com/ingesempleart
Education
1985 BA (Fine Art) HDE Stellenbosch University
Studied under van Zyl le Grange, Barbara Innes, Prof Larry Scully, Cecil Skotnes, Ellalou O’ Meara, Paul Emsley, Mel Todd, Sally Price, Lyn Northam, Vivian van der Merwe, Victor Honey and Carlo Russo
1986-present Attended workshops by Dr John Manning, Vicky Thomas, Kasper Kobke, Amit Kapoor, Lyn Northam, Carlo Russo and Joanna Lee Miller
Professional Appointments and Business
2023 Co-Founder, Cornerstone Art Atelier with Michael Tietz-Geldenhuys & Tiana Goosen
2022 Two collaborative demonstrations held at The Italian Art Shop with Michael Tietz-Geldenhuys
2022 Ran collaborative workshop on artistic anatomy for portraiture with Michael Tietz-Geldenhuys - featuring cast and portrait drawing and painting
2022 Documentary film about Inge made by Mujahid Ur Rehman
2020 First online demonstration for Constantiaberg Art Society
2020 Ran collaborative watercolour workshop entitled “The Colour Of Hope” with fellow watercolourist Dayna-Gay Tate for First Online Artist’s Gathering
2018-2019 Two watercolour demonstrations for The Italian Art Shop
2018 Constantiaberg Art Society evening adjudication of members’ artworks with Elise Bezuidenhout
2017 Watercolour demonstration for Somerset West Art Society
2017 Watercolour demonstration for Fish Hoek Art Society
2017 Two workshops with 50 Chinese tourist artists at Goldfields, Kirstenbosch, and collaborative painting with their art teacher, Mr Sun
2016 South African Artists evening adjudication of members’ artworks with Lesley Charnock
2016 Talk for Western Cape Botanical Artists Society on painting insects
2016 Watercolour demonstration for Blaauwberg Art Society
2016 Watercolour demonstration for Fish Hoek Art Society
2016 Watercolour demonstration for Constantiaberg Art Society
2014-present Runs watercolour workshops in Western Cape
2007 Launch of Cape Fauna and Flora cards and prints, now called Inge Semple Art
2004-2014 Taught art, design and photography to home educated students Grade 0 - Grade 12, and organised their joint art exhibition in 2009
1998 Oil demonstration for Constantiaberg Art Society
1993-present helped students with art and design portfolios for tertiary applications
1993-present teaches drawing and painting to adult students from studio
1990-2014 Relief teaching at Herschel Girls’ High School, Peter Clarke Art Centre, Springfield Girls’ Primary School Art Department
1990-98 Book illustration for educational publishers Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Kagiso Books and others
1987-89 Taught Art and English at Fairmont and Settlers High Schools Grades 8-12
Awards
2019 Certificate of Commendation for mixed media at 113th SASA Annual Exhibition
2019 Watercolour selected by international jury for 1st International Watermedia Festival Cape Town
2018 Third best Watercolour 2nd National WASA Watercolour Exhibition Johannesburg
2018 Honourable Mention for watercolour at 1st National WASA Exhibition, Cape Town
2017 Best Watercolour at 111th SASA Annual Exhibition
2010 Certificate of Commendation for watercolour at 104th SASA Annual Exhibition
Selected Exhibitions
1998- present Taken part in more than 40 group exhibitions in Cape Town, including Common Ground Artists, South African Society of Artists members’ exhibitions, International Watercolour Society South Africa national and international exhibitions, Original Cape Art, Artist’s Portfolio, and Professional Cape Artists.
2023 PLANT Botanical Exhibition, Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden with BAASA
November 2021-January 2022 Selected Cape Artists at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
January 2021 Original Cape Art
November 2020-March 2021 Selected Cape Artists at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
2020 A5 Online Exhibition
2019-20 Gallery One11 Botanica Terrarum: The Nature of Things group exhibition
2020 SASA Merit Exhibition
2019 SASA 113th Annual Exhibition
2018 Joint studio exhibition with 30 past and present adult students
2018 Artem Gallery co-organised first national International Watercolour Society South Africa exhibition
2018 Co-organised “Re-sCape” first National 40 Stones Art Collective exhibition in Cape Town in conjunction with First Thursdays Cape Town
2018 SASA Merit Exhibition
2017 SASA 1111h Annual Exhibition
2017 Grahamstown National Arts Festival group exhibition with 40 Stones Artist’s Collective
2017 Exhibition at Goldfields Centre with adult students for Chinese artists at their workshop
2016 The Cape Gallery, Watercolours group exhibition
2014 The Cape Gallery, Pause, the annual wildlife group exhibition
2013 SA Print Gallery Group Botanical Prints exhibition
2013 Fourth Solo Exhibition, The Cape Gallery, “A Sense of Place- fifty paintings for turning fifty” and open for First Thursdays Cape Town
2011 SASA Merit Exhibition
2010 SASA 104th Annual Exhibition
2009 Exhibition at Tokai SAN Parks Cape Research Centre opening
2009 Third Solo Exhibition, Sanlam Hall Kirstenbosch Gardens, “Life in the Forest”, consisting of 100 original paintings
2005 Second Solo Exhibition, Tokai Library, “The Fullness of Time”, with sculptor and clockmaker Guy Luck
2001 Women of Promise Women’s Conference, Parow, art exhibition
2001 Group Exhibition with South African artists, Albany Museum, Grahamstown National Christian Arts Festival Exhibition
2001 Nova Constantia Cellars Joint exhibition with artist Francoise Viglietti and potter Tina Schultz
2000 Kirstenbosch Botanical Biennale
2000 First Solo Exhibition, Nova Constantia Cellars, “The Coming Harvest”, with potter Tina Schultz
1998 Nova Constantia Cellars First Group exhibition, “Towards the Light”, with Francoise Viglietti, Lissa Claassens, and Ronelle Rudman- all twenty artworks by Inge Semple sold out.
1987 Staff Art Exhibition at Fairmont High School, Durbanville
Articles
2017 The South African Artist Issue 27 featured artist for The Italian Art Shop
2011 The Chronicle 7 December: “All Creatures Great and Small Inspire Tokai Artist”
2009 Constantiaberg Bulletin Thursday 7 May by Garth King: “Tokai Forest’s Beatrix Potter Exhibits Her Work”
Commissions
2020 Logo design for Fynbos Crush beauty products
2014 Group Portrait in honour of Professor Andre Odendaal’s retirement from sport and to commemorate his contribution to sporting awards by Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs
1991 Logo, badge and letterhead design for Buren High School, Cape Town
1991 Logo and letterhead design for Village Landscaping
1991-present Over 400 birth, marriage and other rites of passage personal paintings including hand drawn wedding invitations and special birthday gifts
Collections
Many works in two private collections in Wales and RSA
Numerous works in private homes in the USA, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria, England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Swaziland and South Africa