Chantal Coetzee
Chantal Coetzee (born 1966) is a South African artist, working fulltime in her Cape Town studio.
In 1987 she obtained her degree in Fine Art from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Coetzee moved to The Netherlands after completing her studies, in 1988. There she delved into the realm of art installation, in collaboration with the late South African fashion designer, Pieter van der Walt. They created immersive experiences in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, using vivid colour and giant rotating mobiles as interactive artwork designed to elicit a childlike playfulness... a cathartic reprieve from the zeitgeist of South Africa in the late eighties.
Returning to Cape Town in 1992, Coetzee joined forces with fellow artist and curator, Sharon Peers. Together they founded The Seeff Trust Art Gallery on the Foreshore, launching with a massive group art exhibition at The Baxter precinct.
In 1997, Peers and Coetzee founded 3RD i GALLERY, situated in the historic De Waterkant neighbourhood. They curated countless art exhibitions, promoting emerging as well as established artists from South Africa and abroad.
As a resident artist at 3RD i GALLERY, Coetzee was awarded many prestigious commissions. Her work graces the public spaces of restaurants and hotels in Cape Town, Hermanus, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Umhlanga and several corporate spaces across the country.
Coetzee has exhibited paintings, photography and mixed-media artwork in numerous groups shows. A particular highlight was being invited to exhibit in Mälmo, Sweden, as one of four women artists, in a show entitled Under Vatten/ Under Water, in 2004.
Her current series of works, painted on gold leaf and canvas, are thoroughly researched portraits of African Queens. Coetzee celebrates their greatness and pointedly speaks to the notion of historical bias and how women’s lives and achievements have been side-lined in favour of European, male-centric narratives.
“African Queens: Restoring History” is Coetzee’s third solo exhibition. She has created work of beauty and power in celebration of womanhood, that invite us to re-examine ourselves, our history, and our place in the world.
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