ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST RECOGNIZED CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS

Born in 1971, “Artist Henk Serfontein’s work shows his particular interest in the road movie genre, more specifically the films by German director, playwright and photographer Wim Wenders. Wenders’ stories are of average people on journeys of discovery, exploring the routes of the world in search of love, wealth and happiness, or simply themselves. These narratives have a direct influence on Serfontein’s work, where his paintings evoke the grittiness and nostalgic framing so apparent in these movies. Serfontein travels the margins and makes his silence heard whilst everyone sleeps. After dark is when it all happens.” Veronica Blaine

Love Your Neighbour Church Woodstock © Henk Serfontein

"I am intrigued by the transcendental, that silent and mysterious moment when actual place becomes psychological space." Henk Serfontein

Chasing Shadows © Henk Serfontein 



Serfontein holds a degree in Fine Art (cum laude) and has also studied at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris. He has lectured art at a tertiary level, adjudicated national art competitions and is an accomplished curator of exhibitions. His paintings have received widespread acclaim at home as well as abroad.

In 2010 his work was selected as one of 36 finalists for the prestigious international Guasch Coranty Painting Award and exhibition held in Barcelona, Spain. He was also invited in 2011 to become the international resident artist at the Piramidon Centre of Contemporary Art in Barcelona for three months
 
Ou Lido Kafee © Henk Serfontein

Parkade 1 © Henk Serfontein

Parkade 11 © Henk Serfontein

Petrol & Diesel Voortrekker Road © Henk Serfontein

Poplers Bar Tulbach 11 © Henk Serfontein

Salt River Superette © Henk Serfontein

Seven Eleven Seapoint © Henk Serfontein

The Poetics of Darkness © Henk Serfontein

One Night Only © Henk Serfontein


Cape Town Cape Dutch © Henk Serfontein

Ford Escort Woodstock © Henk Serfontein










One Night In Parow © Henk Serfontein

SOLO EXHIBITIONS :
  • 1995 : Henk Serfontein : Winner of The Reginald Turvey Painting Competition. Karen McKerron Art Gallery, Johannesburg
  • 1996 : “Labyrinth of Remains” Karen McKerron Art Gallery, Johannesburg
  • 1997 : “Labyrinthe de mémoire et mythe. Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
  • 2002 : “Memorabilia” Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town
  • 2009 : “Travelling the Margins” Ilse French Fine Art Consultancy, Johannesburg
  • 2011 : "Urban Tension" Galeria Alex Telese, Barcelona, Spain.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS :
ABSA Banking Group, GENCOR, SASOL, Rand Merchant Bank, Pretoria Art Museum, Tswane University, British American Tobacco, Webber Wentzel, SPIER, Nando's United Kingdom. Private collections in South Africa, London, New York, Chicago, Berlin, Tokyo, Ireland, Amsterdam and Paris.
 AWARDS :
  • 1992 : Winner of the Dr. I.F. Anderson award for most outstanding final year student, Tswane University.
  • Presented with Silver Rectors Medal for outstanding academic achievement, Tswane University.
  • 1994 : Merit Award, ABSA Atelier Art Competition. Winner of The Reginald Turvey Painting Competition.
  • 1995 : Winner of the SASOL New Signatures Art Competition.
  • 1996 : Official representative of South Africa at the Sixth International Cairo Biennale, Egypt with fellow artists Trevor Makhoba, Keith Dietrich and Gordon Froud.
  • 2010: Finalist in the International Guasch Coranty Painting Award, Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2011: Official invited resident artist at the Piramidon Centre of Contemporary Art, Barcelona Spain.
Serfontein's symbolic stations of resting and waiting evoke a certain romantic nostalgia, a hopeful intimacy, a place for the traveller to rest his weary bones. Yet they also contain a more sinister dimension. They are places of weariness, heightened suspiciousness, in which the viewer could be both welcomed guest and unwanted intruder. Most importantly you know you are alone here, it is dark and there is silence. Serfontein's paintings ask you to listen inside and expose your soul.