Janette Kampherbeek — South African oil painter and visual artist

I work and live in Cape Town, South Africa, but regularly join artist programmes and residencies in various countries to expand my artistic experiences. I earned a Fine Arts degree from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. My career in teaching, showing and creating art stretches over several decades. My experience as a curator of a contemporary art gallery has been valuable in understanding the important role of artists.

I create portraits, figures and compositions through the application of several oil painting glazes to capture the unseen or metaphysical appearance through transparent layers. I mostly work from memory or no reference at all, as the subject is merely a vehicle for breaking beyond the physical world. Oil as a medium provides the fluidity, mobility and subtlety for bringing the unseen to life. I have, since my childhood, been made aware of another layer of consciousness and grew up with stories told about ghosts and strange experiences. I have been fascinated with the mystical ever since and it is the force behind my creativity. My art is not a conscious depiction of this but is rather influenced by it.