BIOGRAPHY
(b. 1943 Johannesburg, South Africa
Leigh Voigt is a South African artist best known for her studies of trees, birds, cattle and small wild creatures. She studied at the Johannesburg School of Art and worked for an advertising agency between 1962 and 1968. From then onwards her career has been dedicated to art.
The wildlife studies executed by Voigt have great sensitivity and are remarkable for their wonderful use of colour. Voigt concentrates on the patterns that identify various creatures – the spots on the guinea fowl, the stripes of the francolin – rather than delineating all their scientific details.
Voigt’s first solo exhibition took place in 1967 at the Lloys-Ellis Gallery. Since then, she has held numerous successful solo shows and participated in selected group exhibitions throughout South Africa and abroad, many of them with the Everard Read group.
The way Voigt’s work conveys the essence of the creatures she portrays, has led to her to be much in demand as an illustrator of books. In particular, she has worked with renowned South African author Marguerite Poland on numerous publications, including Once at KwaFubesi, and Sambane´s Dream.
In 2004 Voigt collaborated with Poland on the highly acclaimed publication, The Abundant Herds. This spectacular overview of Southern African Nguni cattle was written by Poland and David Hammond-Tooke, and for it, Voigt produced hundreds of watercolours and about 80 large oil paintings. In total, she spent nine years researching the subject of Nguni cattle and creating artworks for this landmark publication.
Following this endeavour, Voigt dedicated a number of years to two important books on amaryllis plants. In 2016, The Amaryllidaceae of Southern Africa was published. It features text by Graham Duncan and watercolour paintings by both Voigt and her mother, renowned botanical artist Barbara Jeppe. In 2020, the same team released Field Guide to the Amaryllis Family.
Voigt has also painted images used on both South African and Namibian postal stamp, has produced tapestries with the world-renowned Stephens Tapestry Studio, and is a talented portraitist. She lives and works in the mountain-top Lowveld house designed and built by her late husband, the artist Harold Voigt. They have two sons, Max, an architect, and Walter, also a well-known painter.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
The Allure of our Arboreal Allies, White River Gallery, White River, South Africa
The Allure of our Arboreal Allies, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2018
The Silent Spectators of History, Everard Read, London, UK
2010
The Recollections of a Dendrogenealogist, White River Art Gallery, White River, William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley, and Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2005
Exhibition of the Nguni cattle paintings and illustrations featured in The Abundant Herds, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg,
Exhibition of the Nguni cattle paintings and illustrations featured in The Abundant Herds, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa
2008
Exhibition of the Nguni cattle paintings and illustrations featured The Abundant Herds, Ron Belling Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
2004
Bonisa Private Gallery, Kloof, South Africa
1999
Lulu Phezulu paintings exhibition, The Studio, Johannesburg, South Africa
1992
The Studio, Johannesburg, South Africa
1988
Association of Arts, Pretoria, South Africa
1987
Sanderling Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1986
Bruce Ponting Gallery, Nelspruit, South Africa
1983
Carriagehouse Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1977
Lister Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1971
Bird Studies, Lister Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1970
Bird Studies, Lister Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1967
Lloys-Ellis Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
Staring Straight to the Future, Everard Read Group, South Africa and UK
Odyssey, Everard Read Group, South Africa and UK
2018
SUMMER Exhibition III, Everard Read Gallery, London, UK
2013
Centenary Exhibition, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2008
Inaugural FNB Art Joburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
2004
Ten Years of Democracy, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Art for Survival, Christie’s, London, UK
2002
Strydom Gallery, George, South Africa
2001
Tryon and Swann Gallery, London, UK
2000
Botanical exhibition, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa
25th anniversary of Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wisconsin, USA
1999
Martial Eagle, bathing exhibited, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum,
Wisconsin, USA (touring show)
Annual exhibition, Strydom Gallery, George, South Africa
1997
Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wisconsin, USA
1996
Christie’s Wildlife Art Auction, London, UK
1995
Waterfowl Festival Exhibition, Maryland, USA
Wildlife Art Auction at Christie’s, London, UK
Family group exhibition, The Studio, Johannesburg, South Africa
1994
Annual Showcase, Prestige Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1993
Still Life Group Exhibition, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Show in honour of Simon Calburn, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa
1992
Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wisconsin, USA
1991
3rd Annual Original Art Showcase, Prestige Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1984
Bird Artists of the World, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1981
International Wildlife Magazine’s ‘Rarest Birds in the World’ article illustrations, Wildlife Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1976
Bird Artists of the World, Pieter Wenning Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1974
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
1973
International Botanical Art, Gertrude Posel Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Winter 73, Gallery 21, Johannesburg, South Africa
1970
Little Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
