Annamieke Engelbrecht

Cape Town-based artist Annamieke Engelbrecht is best known for her commentary on internet culture and how modern technology affects our way of living.

Predominantly working in oil paints and performance, Annamieke marries the labour-intensive art of oil painting (which can take up to 3 days to dry before she can continue) with the seemingly contradictory rush of modern life. She uses pixelated images of low HD YouTube videos as inspiration to create layered paintings that challenge the quick-click instant gratification culture that we live in.

On top of her disguised self-portraits, Annamieke also uses her body as a canvas to create eye-popping costumes. By constructing various characters that represent the parts of her personality that are generally reserved for close family and friends, self-proclaimed introvert. Annamieke is able to express herself with the kind of confidence that would make even the biggest extravert jaw drop - a total caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation. Notably, the art series gained her the stamp of approval from respected art critic, Lloyd Pollak. “Annamieke teaches us something far more profound than the mere act of glancing. She teaches us how to behold.”