ARTIST STATEMENT
Leanne Olivier is a South African artist whose practice is immersed in the visual and symbolic storytelling of liminal spaces in the human experience. Her work borrows from different cultures, mythologies, religions, and schools of thought while questioning the fallacy of concreteness, placed or misplaced. Her investigation into these narratives often manifests through the shapeshifting of the archetypal Feminine.
Olivier’s classical approach to figurative realism is blended with earthly matter such as clay, hematite, bone meal, ash, mica, and charcoal. These serve as metaphorical conduits; a return to essence. Her process takes place in the suburban cave through a ceremonial collaboration with the people she paints. Central to Olivier’s practice is the act of becoming and yet, simultaneously the unbecoming of self.
Olivier’s classical approach to figurative realism is blended with earthly matter such as clay, hematite, bone meal, ash, mica, and charcoal. These serve as metaphorical conduits; a return to essence. Her process takes place in the suburban cave through a ceremonial collaboration with the people she paints. Central to Olivier’s practice is the act of becoming and yet, simultaneously the unbecoming of self.
BIOGRAPHY
Leanne Olivier (born 1986) currently resides in the Kalahari, Northern Cape. Her artworks have received recognition on multiple platforms and art competitions including The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize 2023 Top 30 finalist (Traditional art category); the Portrait Awards 2023 (3rd Place); Top 40 in 2021, 2019, and 2017; the Sasol New Signature’s Competition 2014 and 2008; the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards 2018 and 2015 and the overall winner amongst emerging artists, Art Lovers Gallery in 2014. Olivier has exhibited extensively in group and solo shows, participating in Art Fairs and traveling exhibitions locally and abroad, including The Venice Biennale. She is working on a body of paintings and sculptural works for her next solo exhibition.
CURRICULUM VITAE
AWARDS & COMPETITIONS (SELECTED)
2023 - Portrait Awards: 3rd Place. Rust en Vrede Gallery, Cape Town.
2023 - Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize: Top 30 (Traditional Art Category). Armidale, Australia.
2021 - Portrait Awards: Top 40. Rust en Vrede Gallery, Cape Town.
2019 - Portrait Awards: Top 100. Ava Gallery, Cape Town.
2018 - Thami Mnyele Fine Art Awards: Top 100. Kempton Park, Johannesburg.
2017 - Portrait Awards: Top 40. Rust en Vrede Gallery, Cape Town.
2015 - Thami Mnyele Fine Art Awards: Top 100. Kempton Park, Johannesburg.
2014 - Art Lovers Gallery Competition: Overall winner. Pretoria.
2014 - ITWEB Brainstorming Competition: Top 12. Johannesburg.
2014 - Sasol New Signature’s Art Competition: Top 100. Pretoria Art Museum.
2008 - Sasol New Signature’s Art Competition: Top 100. Pretoria Art Museum.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 - Kappie Stoksiel Skoudier. Online Exhibition.
2022 - Phantom Figment Fragment. Online Exhibition.
2022 - 3 Fates + 7 Sermons + The Abyss. Online Exhibition.
2022 - 22/2/22. Online Exhibition.
2021 - Tat Tvam Asi. Online Exhibition.
2021 - Koggel Skadu’s. Online Exhibition.
2021 - In Bardo. RK Contemporary. Riebeek Kasteel, Cape Town.
2020 - The Medial Women. Online Exhibition.
2019 - Tussen Stasies. Trent Gallery, Pretoria.
2018 - Extrinsic / Intrinsic. Jan Royce Gallery, Cape Town.
2018 - M(as)kers Solo Exhibition. Woordfees. Stellenbosch, Cape Town.
2016 - Gedaante Verwisseling. Rust en Vrede Gallery. Cape Town.
2015 - Slip-cast Series. Art Lovers Gallery, Pretoria
COLLECTIONS
2019 - “A Whiter Shade of Frail”. 2016. Oil on Canvas. Jan Royce Foundation, Valencia. & “Ash & Salt”. 2017. Oil on Canvas. Jan Royce Foundation, Valencia.
2018 - “Rembrandt Messiah”. 2017. Oil on Board. Jan Royce Foundation, Valencia.
2017 - “Inside/sight/cite”. 2016. Bronze (¼). As part of the Cool Capital traveling exhibition. South African Department of Arts and Culture Permanent Collection.
2015 - “Slipcast Portrait ii”. 2015. Pigment Ink and Oil on Canvas Paper. Angus Taylor & Rina Stutzer Art Collection, South Africa.
2009 - “How meaning is constructed”. 2009. Charcoal on Fabriano. ATKV Art Collection, South Africa.
ART FAIRS & SPECIAL PROJECTS (SELECTED)
2019 - Valencia Design Week. Jan Royce Gallery. Valencia, Spain
2019 - SculptX Annual Art Fair. The Melrose Gallery. Johannesburg.
2017 - Turbine Art Fair. Represented by Carol Lee Fine Arts Gallery. Johannesburg.
2016 - Turbine Art Fair. Represented by DF Contemporary. Johannesburg.
2016 - Cool Capital “saadjies”. Curated by Pieter Matthews and Carla Taljaard.
Traveling exhibition: Architecture Biennale - Venice, Italy; Van Wouw Huis - Pretoria; Aardklop - Potchefstroom; Woordfees - Stellenbosch.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTED)
2024 - Solo Studios Art Fair. Curated by Astrid Mcleod. RK Contemporary Gallery, Riebeek Kasteel.
2023 - Klein Karoo National Arts Festival. Curated by Dineke Orten. Prince Vincent Centre, Oudshoorn
2021 - Affordable Art Fair Online Exhibition. Curated by Elfried Dreyer. Edg2020 Online Gallery.
2019 - Slightly Saintly. Curated By Leanne Olivier. Trent Gallery, Pretoria
2019 - A letter to my 22-year-old self. Curated by Banele Khoza. BKhz Studio, Johannesburg
2019 - Face to Face. Now Gallery at the Open Windows Art Institution. Curated by Nina Torr. Pretoria.
2019 - WomXn. Curated by Adele Adendorf. Pretoria Arts Association.
2018 - True Self: Open Dialogues. Curated by Tlotlo Lobelo. KKNK. Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo.
2018 - Unsettled. Curated by Tlotlo Lobelo. Absa Gallery, Johannesburg.
2018 - Naked Truth. Curated by Elani Willemse and Shenaz Mahomed. Fried Gallery, Pretoria.
2018 - Tacit. With Angus Taylor & Dionysus Sculpture Works artists. Curated by Elani Willemse. Oliewenhuis Art Museum. Bloemfontein.
2017 - Rethinking Kakotopia. Curated by Derek Zietsman. University of Johannesburg.
2017 - Mythology / Morphology. DF Contemporary, Cape Town.
2017 - To see the forest for the trees. Curated by Alex Hamilton. Woordfees. Stellenbosch, Cape Town.
2017 - Art Gratia Artis. Curated by Aidon Westcott. Grande Provence, Cape Town.
2016 - Sex + Death on the Moon. With Johann Nortje. Trent Gallery, Pretoria.
2016 - Artemisia. DF Contemporary, Cape Town.
2016 - Chapter III. DF Contemporary, Cape Town.
RESIDENCIES
2019 - “Silence Awareness Existence”. Arteles Creative Centre, Finland.
EDUCATION
2012 - Fine & Applied Arts B-Tech Cum Laude. Tshwane University of Technology.
2008 - Fine & Applied Arts National Diploma Cum Laude. Tshwane University of Technology.
SELECTED PRESS
2022 - The Black Madonna Speaks. Podcast interview with Stephanie Georgieff.
2022 - Artist interview. Die Waarheid Media with Gerald Eloff.
2021 - The Intangible Land. Interview with Nieves A. Calvo Lopez.
2021 - City Press. South Africa’s new wave of daring portraiture. Article by Grethe Kemp.
2020 - Klyntjie.com. Leanne Olivier se rituele portretkuns oor die heilige vrou. Interview with Francois Lion-Cachet.
2020 - Pandemic stories, Leanne Olivier. Interview with Photographer Bernard Brand.
2019 - SA Artist Magazine Issue 48. Feature artist: Leanne Olivier.
2018 - Taalgenoot, Autumn Issue. Wegsteek en wys. Interview with Johan Myburg.
2017 - Art Times, September Issue. Magazine Cover: Leanne Olivier artwork feature: “Theia”.
2016 - Weirdson Online Grunge Magazine, Issue 004. Leanne Olivier: Mythology & Legend. Interview with Wade Weirdson.
2016 - Cool Capital Guerrilla Magazine. Saadjies Traveling exhibition, artwork feature:
“Insight/side/cite”.
“Insight/side/cite”.
2016 - Northern Newspaper. Young Artists shine at the Durbanville Gallery. Article by Lizahn Wentzel.