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BUSINESS NEWS - This holiday, be sure to view a new exhibition on show at the Jan Rupert Art Centre in Graaff-Reinet.
The opening of Faces of Modernism – selection of 20th century portraits and figures on Saturday, 15 November revealed a selection of 50 works by both South African and International artists.
These works are in the mediums of painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture and all drawn from the permanent collections managed by the Rupert Museum.
Among the artists featured are Irma Stern, Maggie Laubser, Vladimir Tretchikoff, Stanley Pinker, Maud Sumner, Emilio Greco alongside sculptors like Moses Kottler, Anton van Wouw, Käthe Kollwitz to name but a few.
Portraiture and figurative studies have been key genres in the arts - a balancing act between the sitter and the artist. The artist is the main observer of identity, personality, experiences, human form, gesture, and movement. By mainly using either accessories, activities, dress, or a theme, a variety of portraits can be composed.
For the Modernist, on one end, they sought to represent the character and psychology of their sitters or themselves in self-portraits - the aim was to communicate something of the inner self that is expressive or telling of one’s social or political surroundings. On the other hand, the complete removal of this emotion with a pure focus on form, structure, and colour within the setting.
“It is always a pleasure to bring works from our extended collections to Graaff-Reinet, and in this specific exhibition we see the work of artists who inspired and laid the foundation of arts in South Africa” said Eliz-Marié Schoonbee, Senior Curator at the Rupert Museum.
The Jan Rupert Art Centre serves as a satellite gallery for the museum; a space where the community of Graaff-Reinet and its surrounds can engage with and enjoy the artworks exhibited.
View the exhibition until November 2026. Entrance at the Jan Rupert Art Centre is complimentary. For more information, contact the centre on 049 892 6107 or [email protected]. You can also follow the centre on Facebook. Holiday hours: the Jan Rupert Art Centre will be closed from 24 December 2025 to 2 January 2026.
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