            |
Marsi van de Heuvel (b. 1987) grew up in her mother’s art classroom, with unlimited access to materials and surrounded by books on old masters. She has spent countless hours observing, exploring and practicing. After trying her hand in film photography and finding the practice too creatively restrictive; her innate inquisitiveness led her to study further. She moved on to study Fine Art at Ruth Prowse and was drawn to the constantly expanding boundaries of art, and it’s invitation to examine life. She graduated in 2010, majoring in painting. Despite most of her current work being executed with fineliner pens, van de Heuvel still sees herself as a painter. She approaches the color and layers in her works as if she was working with oil paint; this gives the ‘drawings’ a radiant quality.
The subjects of mountains, volcanoes, seascapes, and outer space portrayed in her work, have always contemplated perspectives of who we are and where we are. Van de Heuvel is interested in art as therapy, for the artist and the viewer. Her most recent work of abstract drawings and drawings of and flowers explore our inner, intimate landscape and the beauty and warmth of human connection.
Marsi van de Heuvel describes the process behind this new body of work as the performance of ballet that is graceful and effortless but the practice of which is in fact very rigid, repetitive and restrictive. Making lightness and finding internal space within restraints, results in harmony. That is what she attempts with layers of one directional mark making; to create openness and beauty within the struggle.
Regarding the subject of Ceremony, van de Heuvel explains, “our world is full of challenge, chaos and pain; the only thing that makes sense to me in this sometimes trying existence is compassion - those quiet vibrant moments of connection. Flowers are consolations, they celebrate the ceremonies of life and offer comfort when confronting death. To be compassionate is to be like a flower - open, vulnerable and radiant.”
Solo Exhibitions
2016
Entanglement, SMITH, Cape Town
2015
Dark Matter II, Rochester Museum of Fine Art, New York
2014
‘Dark Matter’, Tonic, Johannesburg
2013
In Loving Memory, Wolves, Johannesburg
2012
Above and Below, 177 Long St, Cape Town
Group Exhibitions
2017
Salad, SMITH, Cape Town
Calibrating Wonder, SMITH, Cape Town
Out of Nowhere, SMITH, Cape Town
Salad, SMITH, Cape Town
2016
From Whence They Came, SMITH / Kalashnikovv, Cape Town
2015
‘Lineage’, Ongaro, Cape Town
Current, SMITH Gallery, Cape Town
2011
Winter Wonderland, Salon 91, Cape Town
If You Let Yourself Love A Wild Thing, Salon 91, Cape Town
Art Fairs
2018
Investec Cape Town Art Fair
2017
FNB Joburg Art Fair, SMITH
Cape Town Art Fair, SMITH
2016
AKAA Contemporary Design and Art Fair, Paris
Cape Town Art Fair, SMITH
FNB Joburg Art Fair, SMITH