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
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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
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Chasing Shadows © Henk Serfontein
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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
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Ou Lido Kafee © Henk Serfontein
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Parkade 1 © Henk Serfontein
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Parkade 11 © Henk Serfontein
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Petrol & Diesel Voortrekker Road © Henk Serfontein
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Poplers Bar Tulbach 11 © Henk Serfontein
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Salt River Superette © Henk Serfontein
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Seven Eleven Seapoint © Henk Serfontein
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The Poetics of Darkness © Henk Serfontein
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One Night Only © Henk Serfontein
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Cape Town Cape Dutch © Henk Serfontein
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Ford Escort Woodstock © Henk Serfontein
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One Night In Parow © Henk Serfontein
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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.