Deborah Bell
Deborah Margaret Bell was born in 1957 in Johannesburg. She studied at the University of the Witwatersrand gaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1977 and a Honours in 1978. Between 1981 and 1985 under the tutelage of Robert Hodgins, Giuseppe Cattaneo, Paul Stopforth, Professor Alan Crump and Terry King. Finally obtaining her Masters in 1985.
She was a founder member of Possession Arts. Between 1983 and 1985 she was a part-time lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the University of the Witwatersrand. In 1985 she was a part-time lecturer at the University of South Africa, taking a post as a full-time lecturer between 1986 and 1987. In 1986 she spent two months in Cit Internationale des Arts, in Paris.
Bell had two solo exhibitions in the Market Gallery Johannesburg the first of which was held in 1982. Since 1983, she has participated in many group exhibitions throughout South Africa. In 1985 she participated in the Cape Town Triennial. In 1986 she held a joint exhibition with Sybille Nagel, Johann Moolmann and Keith Dietrich. In 1987 she participated in an exhibition of drypoint etchings entitled "The Hogarth Series", with Robert Hodgins and William Kentridge that toured South Africa.
She has been represented by the Durban Art Gallery, the Johannesburg Art Gallery, the SA National Gallery in Cape Town, the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg, the University of Natal, the University of South Africa and the University of the Witwatersrand.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBTIONS
2020
Sentinels, Everard Read London, UK
2019
Enthroned, Everard Read Cape Town, South Africa
2018
Invocations to the Plate, David Krut Projects, Johannesburg, South Africa
2017
Recent Paintings and Sculptures, Everard Read Franschhoek, South Africa.
Uncovering Ancient Memory – 15 Years of Etchings, David Krut Projects, Cape Town
2016
Dreams of Immortality, CIRCA Gallery, London, UK
2015
Dreams of Immortality, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town & Johannesburg, South Africa
Renunciation, David Krut, Johannesburg, South Africa
2013
What would wisdom say to you dark heart?, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2012
A far country, John Martin Gallery, London & Glydebourne Opera Festival, London, UK
2011
Presence, CIRCA & Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2010
Alchemy, David Krut, Johannesburg, South Africa
2009
Flux, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Flux, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Collaborations, David Krut, Johannesburg, South Africa
2007
Objects of Power: memory of metal, memory of wood, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2005-6
Crossings and Monuments, Oliewenhuis Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa
2005
Crossings and Monuments, Aardklop Festival Potchefstroom University Library Gallery, South Africa
2004
Sentinels, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2002
Unearthed, Joao Ferreira Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2001
Unearthed, The Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2000
The Journey Home, Art First, London, UK
1998
Displacements, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1995
Muses and Lamentations, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1989
Deborah Bell, Potchesfstroom Museum, South Africa
1982
Deborah Bell, Market Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
TWO/THREE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2019
Correspondences, with Ricky Burnett, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa
1997
Collaborations 1986-1997 (11 years of collaborative projects between artists Kentridge, Hodgins and Bell) at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, in association with the FNB Vita Awards
UB101: A portfolio of etchings done in conjunction with Kentridge and Hodgins. Exhibited at the Grahamstown Festival and at the Gertrude Posel Gallery. Exhibition curated by Fiona Rankin-Smith.
1994
Memo, installation with video at the Grahamstown festival in collaboration with William Kentridge and Robert Hodgins
Lamentations, Art First, Cork Street. London, UK
1993
Easing the Passing (of the hours), Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Portraits in the round, ceramic exhibition in collaboration with William Kentridge and Retief van Wyk at the Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1992
Easing the Passing (of the hours), Waterfront, Cape Town. Computer Animation, laser prints and drawings in collaboration with William Kentridge and Robert Hodgins
1991
Little Morals, a portfolio of etchings done in conjunction with Hodgins and Kentridge, exhibited at the Cassierer Gallery, Johannesburg, Gallery International Cape Town, Taking Liberties, Durban, South Africa
1988
Exhibited with Jenny Stadler and Nagel at the Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1987-08
Hogarth in Johannesburg, a portfolio of etchings done in conjunction with Hodgins and Kentridge. This exhibition travelled to all the major centres in South Africa
1985
MAFA exhibition, Rembrandt Gallery, Milner Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
1983-4
Exhibited with Hodgins and Sassoon, Carriage House Gallery
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, with Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
The Portrait Show, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa
2019
Summer, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
2018
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, with Everard Read, South Africa
2016-7
TACIT, a group exhibition acknowledging 20 years of conjunction and reciprocity at Dionysus Sculpture Works studio and foundry , NWU Gallery, Potchefstroom and William Humphreys, Kimberley, and Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria, South Africa
2016
Opening Group Exhibition, CIRCA Gallery, London ,UK
Winter Collection, Group Show, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2015
Bronze, Steel & Stone, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa
1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, CIRCA Gallery Booth, London, UK
FNB Jo-burg Art Fair, Everard Read Gallery Booth, Johannesburg, South Africa
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