Bruce Backhouse

Bruce Backhouse is an acclaimed landscape painter based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Throughout this career, he has focused on the vast, arid regions of South Africa, particularly the Great Karoo and the Kalahari Desert. His work captures the profound, visceral connection he has with these barren, uninhabited landscapes, which remain untouched by human manipulation.

In 2019, Backhouse participated in the Tswalu AiR (artist in residence) program, which deeply influenced his work. During his three-month residency, he produced a series of large-scale paintings that reflect his intense exploration of Tswalu's expansive semi-desert environment. As he describes, the challenge was to encapsulate the essence of 114,000 hectares of unspoiled land into a limited number of canvases and works on paper. his goal was to convey the diverse atmosphere of Tswalu, capturing the changing colours and varied landscapes—from the clean skies to the rolling mountains and dunes, to the ever-changing Tswalu earth.

Buckhouse's methodology involved daily exploration of the terrain by bike or by foot at first light, using a sketchbook for reference, and then painting from memory in the solitude of his private studio. His work at Tswalu reflects his fascination with the horizon—the point where the sky meets the land—and the complexities of the environment. He draws inspiration from the shifting colours of the sand, capturing its elusive nature with a unique approach to light and colour. His residency at Tswalu was not only artistically fruitful but also deeply enriching, as it allowed him to immerse himself in the sensual and atmospheric beauty of the region.

Solo and Group Exhibitions

• 2020: The Clarity of Wilderness - Tswalu, Everard Read Johannesburg & Tswalu
• 2018: Print-making with Mark Attwood, Artist Press
• 2014: Karoo Preserved, solo exhibition, Everard Read Johannesburg
• 2013: 100, Everard Read Group Centenary Exhibition, Johannesburg
• 2012: Summer Exhibition, Elizabeth Gordan Gallery, Durban
• 2011: Durban – A City for all Seasons, Elizabeth Gordon Gallery, Durban
• 2010: A view from the South, Everard Read, Johannesburg Solo exhibition
• 2009: Watercolour Monotypes & Etchings, solo exhibition, David Krut Gallery, Johannesburg

Art Fairs

• 2015–2018: Turbine Art Fair, Carol Lee, Johannesburg
• 2015: Venice Biennale, Benetton Project Artist
• 2013: Sydney Contemporary, Everard Read Johannesburg
• 2008–2012: Johannesburg Art Fair, Everard Read, Johannesburg

Residency Programs

• 2019: Tswalu Oppenheimer Kalahari Reserve, three-month artist residency