ABERDEEN NEWS - The Marguerite Beneke Art Gallery in Andries Pretorius Street, brings a touch of unsurpassed finesse to the small Karoo town.
Its opening also commemorates Marguerite's and husband Pieter's 20 years of calling Aberdeen home.
"I always wanted to settle in the Karoo. You don't come here thinking you might like it in future. You first have to like it and then come and live here," she says.
At the moment Marguerite's own work is on display, but future plans include exhibitions of other artists as well.
Marguerite, an internationally acclaimed contemporary glass artist, specialises in kiln-fused glass using a uniquely self-taught technique to achieve as much dimension, texture and colour as possible. She paints with special enamels, suitable for the glass kiln. Glass fusing entails a process of melting pieces of glass together in a very special kiln. "The glass kiln differs from usual pottery kilns," she says.
A surprise in the Karoo - seascapes.
In several of her designs Marguerite adds copper wire, wood, steel and opacities and different pieces of glass to create a sculptured effect. Her designs focus on landscapes, seascapes and typical Karoo elements and scenes, and of course her personal favourite genre: abstract works.
"The total freedom in abstract designs… to just let my mind go free … that is special and joyous."
Marguerite's works are exhibited in galleries throughout South Africa and are sold internationally. Highlights of her career include commissions she did for the South African Air Force, a Norwegian company Scatec Solar, and other corporate companies.
This is what awaits as you walk into the gallery.
In 2019 she accepted invitations to share her knowledge and skills in England and Canada. Although she does not particularly favour going abroad, she accepted another invitation to England to present master classes in June this year. She also presents various classes online.
On 30 April last year, American glass artist, Judy Martin, referred to Marguerite in a published article, Reflections in Glass writing: "…learning from what I think is the best teacher of fused glass painting…"
A visit to the gallery is an absolute must.
The studio where the magic happens.
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