Having acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts degree from the University of Natal and a Higher Education Diploma from the University of South Africa, Heather Gourlay-Conyngham combined her career as an art teacher at various schools in KwaZulu-Natal with that of an artist, but in 2012 she began painting full-time at her home in Hilton. Since then she has had several solo exhibitions, and in 2013 won the first Sanlam Portrait Award.

Her paintings have always depicted people. She has recently been concentrating on stripping the figure and its context to their bare essentials. This simplification extends to her use of subdued colours, with white predominating, which suggests a reduced palette. She uses these devices not only to conjure the illusion of apparently white objects and people, but also to probe the allegorical roles they assume. It is her desire to instil in her paintings an innate energy in an understated manner. 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2017

Being Human, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

2016

Studio, an exhibition celebrating the lives and works of South African artists, at the Iziko SA National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

Modportrait, group show, Agrupación Artística Aragonesa, Zaragoza, Spain

2015

Recent Paintings, solo exhibition, Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2014

The Year of the Horse, group exhibition, Elizabeth Gordon Gallery, Durban, South Africa

2013

Shimmering, group exhibition, curated by Julia Meintjes, Cavalli Gallery, Somerset West, South Africa

2012

Sanlam Portrait Award Winner and Finalists, a travelling exhibition of 40 selected portraits, at galleries in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Bloemfontein and George, South Africa

Unfoldings, solo exhibition, Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg & KZNSA Gallery, Durban, South Africa

Contemporary Reflections: New Art from Old, group show, Tatham Art Gallery, South Africa

2008

Sasol New Signatures, selected works of artists from all regions of South Africa, at the Pretoria Art Museum, South Africa

2007

Hanging Together, group show, The Atrium, New Doornfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa

2004

Imvubelo, group show, Durban Art Gallery, South Africa

The Midlands Biennale, selected works by artists from the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, Tatham Art Gallery, South Africa

2003

National Portrait Competition, finalist, Tatham Art Gallery, South Africa

1999

Graduates of the University of Natal/KwaZulu-Natal, Jack Heath Gallery, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

PORTRAITS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Mary Williams (Roedean School), 2016

Simon Weaver (Cordwalles School), 2015

Homage (Tatham Art Gallery), 2012 

A Young Man (Sanlam Art Collection), 2013

Joy (Tatham Art Gallery), 2009      

David Wilkinson (St Anne’s College), 2009  

Pius Langa (University of KwaZulu-Natal), 2001     

Trevor Benison (Durban High School), 1999