LIZA GROBLER

BIOGRAPHY

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LIZA GROBLER
(b. 1974 Cape Town, South Africa)

Through her artworks, Liza Grobler explores the dialogue between inner and outer landscape. Her  installations create dialogues with the spaces in which they are displayed and explore the connections between people, artworks and the world around us. The viewer is encouraged to travel with her into an imaginary world where fact and fiction becomes one. In this world, everything is in flux and anything is possible.  The objects, images and installations are constructed through collaboration, interaction and exchange. Gallery exhibitions, projects and interventions are integrated components that cross-reference one another.

Grobler received a MAFA (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University in 1999. She has attended residencies in Norway, Finland, the United States, Mexico, Switzerland, Belgium and France. Her work is included in numerous corporate and private collections, including the Francis Greenberger Collection (USA), Frans Masereel Centrum (Belgium), Benetton Collection (Italy) and Nando's International (UK, Australia and USA). To date, she has had thirteen acclaimed solo exhibitions and initiated numerous site-specific and collaborative interventions in South Africa and abroad. 

Under patronage of Spier in partnership with Yellowwoods Art.

QUALIFICATIONS

1999     Master’s Degree in Visual Arts (cum laude), Stellenbosch University

1996     Bachelors Degree in Visual Arts, Stellenbosch University

1992     Matriculated with Distinction, DF Malan High School, Bellville

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018
En die groen gras groei daar om, Aardklop Festival, Potchefstroom
 
2017      
Ripples of Perception, CIRCA Gallery Johannesburg, South Africa
Maybe Time Can Fold, CIRCA Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Unframed Section CTAF Fair, Everard Read CIRCA Booth, Cape Town, South Africa
 

2015
If you go down to the woods today, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Playlist, CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

2014     
Blindfolded Line, Dancing Through Time, a national touring exhibition: Oliewenhuis Museum (Bloemfontein), KZNSA  Durban,  Johannesburg Art Gallery Johannesburg, South Africa

2013     
Interrupted Daydreams, Spier, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2012     
White Termite, Brundyn & Gonsalves, Cape Town, South Africa

2010     
Visitor (The Square): a Solo Exhibition in Two Parts, iArt Wembley Project Space and iArt Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2009     
Visitor, Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town, South Africa

2007     
9 Chicks & a Dick, AVA, Cape Town, South Africa

2005     
Groeisel #1, Outlet, Pretoria, South Africa

2004     
Play with me, AVA, Cape Town, South Africa

2003     
I can't see the wood for the trees, so I'm taking a line for a very long walk, João Ferreira Gallery, Cape Town

2002    
Almost a Valentine, Chelsea Gallery, Wynberg, South Africa

2000     
The Garbage men wear gloves, Chelsea Gallery, Wynberg, South Africa

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2016     
The Space Between/The Noise Behind, a two person show with Norman O'Flynn, Fried Contemporary, Pretoria, South Africa
Winter Collection, Group Show,  Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2015     
ADDIS Video Art Festival, Ethiopia
San Juanita Project: Re-examining borders, Haitian American Museum of Chicago, Chicago, USA
Homage, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
Ímago Mundi – Luciano Benetton Collection, Venice, Italy
Nando's Rites and Duties, Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa
Decor-Z, Spier Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Constructions, GRID International Photography Biennial, Cape Town, South Africa
Empire, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
Forever Now, at MOMA FOMA, New Media Festival, Tasmania

2014     
Winter Sculpture Show, Nirox Foundation, Krugersdorp, South Africa
Open Studios at the Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris
International Union of Architecture World Congress, Durban, South Africa

2013      
5 Years in Print, Warren Editions, Cape Town, South Africa
Chance favours the Connected Mind, collaboration with Barbara Wildenboer, Amelia Johnson Contemporary, Hong Kong
Stellenbosch Revisited, co-curated by Marna Hattingh and Liza Grobler for Die Woordfees, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2012     
Tjorts/Cheers! drawings after a poem by Danie Marais, curators: Marna Hattingh and Liza Grobler, AVA, Cape Town

2011     
Alptraum, Travelling drawing exhibition: Berlin, Los Angeles, Cape Town
Open Books,
 iArt Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Collection 13, SMAC Art Gallery Cape Town, South Africa

2010     
Divisions: Aspects of South African Art (1948-2010), SMAC Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa
The Menippean Uprising, curated by Pierre Fouché and Hentie van der Merwe, Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa
Frans Masereel Centre Annual Printmaking Show, Kasterlee, Belgium
Twenty Years of South African Sculpture, curated by Andrew Lamprecht, Nirox Sculpture Park, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa

2009     
Black: the antithesis of the fraudulent sensuality of culture's façade, Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa
Warren Editions, Monotypes and etchings, at Curious, Whetstone and Frankley, Cape Town, South Africa

2008     
The Bijou Burns Again, UCA Gallery, Observatory, South Africa
Women in Craft, Spier Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2007   
Common Ground, Lönnstrom Contemporary Art Museum in collaboration with Jeanne Hoffman, Rauma, Finland
South African Art on Paper, Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Sydney, Australia
TACT, Artspace, Pretoria, South Africa

2006     
STEEK, a two-person exhibition in collaboration with Barend de Wet, Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa
ROEM, curated by Sandra Hanekom, interactive sculptures for ‘Die Storm’, KKNK, Oudtshoorn, South Africa
Flesh! curated by Chris Diedericks, KKNK, Oudtshoorn, South Africa
the blank paper project as part of Cape 07, Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa
Just like home
 in collaboration with Norman O’ Flynn, Solothurn, Switzerland
2006 travelling exhibition, coordinated by Norman O’Flynn, Bell-Roberts Contemporary, Cape Town & Art on Paper, Johannesburg, South Africa

2005    
Of Want and Desire, João Ferreira Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Biennale at blank projects, curated by Andrew Lamprecht, Cape Town, South Africa
The 5th International Florence Biennial for Contemporary Art, Fortezza de Bastilica, Florence, Italy
Synergy, Michaelis Collection contemporary beaded designs- a history of beads in Africa, Iziko Museum, Cape Town

2004    
Stolen Affections, Goethe Institute, Bahai, Brazil
Artomi, New York, USA
The Art of Drawing, Durbanville Cultural Centre, Durbanville, South Africa

2002     
Low Rider, Polvo Art Studio, Chicago, USA

2000     
Majority Rules, Free Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
YEA-R 2000, Chelsea Gallery, Wynberg, South Africa

SELECTED SITE-SPECIFIC PROJECT
S

2015     
Mexican Pink, Maravatio, Mexico
Diary of a Nanosatellite video included in Forever Now - launch of the Golden Record into Deep Space

2014     
Cape Town World Design Capital 'Accidental Art' Public artwork for Nando's on Kloof street, South Africa

2013     
Big Brother is Stunned, Woodstock Industrial Centre, Cape Town, South Africa

2012     
From Mooi Uitsig to Mooiuitsig: an Artventure, commissioned by Lien Botha for Hangklip Art Week

2010     
Cocoon, Nirox Sculpture Park, Cradle of Humankind, Johannesburg
Imagination: for humans – ‘The Laboratory for Recycled Revolutions, curator: Isa Suarez, Greatmore, Cape Town, South Africa

2009     
The 1-day Residency project in conjunction with ‘Visitor’ with 14 visiting artists, Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town
Gift, a picnic and lace making performance with Pierre Fouché, Cape Town

2007    
Afrikan Tähti/ Star of Africa - public intervention after a Finnish board game, in collaboration Jeanne Hoffman, Rauma, Finland
C-Units, in collaboration with Jeanne Hoffman, Big Bay, South Africa
Icarus project, in collaboration with Norman O’ Flynn, Cape Town, South Africa

2006     
Soft Rock Project, Sunset Beach, Cape Town, South Africa
Teardrop Project, Solothurn, Switzerland, South Africa
Heritage Cache, a site-specific group project coordinated by Cobus van Bosch and Arlene Amaler-Raviv, Cape Town, South Africa

2005
     
Groeisel no. 2, a crocheting performance and installation at the Aardklop Arts Festival, curated by Abrie Fourie, Potchefstroom, South Africa

2004     
D.I.E.N.S. in collaboration Pierre Fouché, Norman O’Flynn and Johan Thom, a street intervention, KKNK, Oudtshoorn, South Africa

2003     
Excess: Proudly South African, in collaboration with Jesus Macarena-Avila, Cape Town, South Africa

2002     
Momentary Monument, in collaboration with art students, Rauma, Finland
Music Concrete-YDEsire Art Night, in collaboration with Jeanne Hoffman, the Cape of Good Hope Castle, Cape Town
Fantastic Rubbish, a mixed media installation, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa

2001     
R.I.P, in collaboration with Jeanne Hoffman, Durbanville, South Africa
Forest Cross, Dalsãsen forest, Norway

1999     
Oos Wes, Tuis Bes, curated by Mark Coetzee and Leze Hugo, Oudtshoorn Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn, South Africa

ART FAIRS

2016     
Cape Town Art Fair, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Den Fair, Otomys Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

2015     
1:54 African Art Fair, 'work in association Qubeka Bead Studio', London, UK
Turbine Art Fair, CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

2012     
Johannesburg Art Fair, Brundyn+, Johannesburg, South Africa

2010  
   
Johannesburg Art Fair, SMAC, Johannesburg, South Africa       

AWARDS & RESIDENCIES


2016     
Laureate of AIR African Centre Residency, Khoj International Artists'Association, New Delhi, India

2015     
Nominated for Helgaard Steyn National Award for contemporary painting
Short-listed for Headlands Centre Residency, San Francisco
Residency at Guapamacátaro Center for Art & Ecology, Maravatio, Mexico
Site-specific commission for Nando's US, Chicago
Social Fabric SA Residency in Port Elizabeth, SAMIL

2014     
Selected Artist for World Design Capital Cape Town, project #522 for public art
Cité des Arts Residency, Paris

2013     
Shortlisted for Woordfees Visual Arts Award, Stellenbosch

2010     
ABSA Atelier top 100 (also 2001, -5, -6, -8. -9)

2009     
Frans Masereel Printmaking Residency, Kastelee, Belgium

2006 
    
Pro-Helvetia Residency, Altes Spital, Solothurn, Switzerland
Short-listed for Commonwealth Arts and Craft Award

2005     
Selected for AVA Public Sculpture Competition
Selected for 3rd Brett Kebble Art Competition

2004     
ARTOMI International Artists' Residency, Hudson, New York, USA

2003-4 
Artist-in-residence, Greatmore Art Studios, Cape Town

2002     
Rauma Artists' in Residence, Finland

2001     
Recipient of UNESCO Ashberg Bursary: Nordic Artists' Centre Dale, Norway

TERTIARY TEACHING


2008 – 2013      
Lecturer/coordinator for Representation 1, Architecture, Planning and the Built Environment, University of Cape Town

2009-2010         
Third year Drawing Lecturer, Visual Arts Department, University of Stellenbosch

2007-2008         
Lecturer History of Fashion I-III Years, Haute Couture School of Fashion, Cape Town

2005                     
Co-founder with Jonathan Garnham of Blank Projects visual arts space, Cape Town

2001, 2009        
Guest Lecturer: 1st year Visual Communication, Stellenbosch University

COLLECTIONS

Work included in the following corporate collections: Hollard (Insurance), Nando's UK, Nando's US , Nando's SA, Spier (South Africa), Frans Masereel Centre (Belgium), Francis Greenberger Collection US, City of Cape Town,  Luciano Benetton Collection (Italy) and in private collections in South Africa, France, Switzerland, America, Mexico, Spain, Germany, England and Norway.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

2016     
A. Jamal. ART AFRICA online  http://artsouthafrica.com/220-news-articles-2013/2588-the-space-between-the-noise-behind-liza-grobler-and-norman-o-flynn-at-fried-contemporary.html

2015     
L. Grobler. 'Mexican Pink', contributing article for Art Africa magazine, September 2015

2015 
    
L. Jolly. 'If you Go Down to The Wood Today', Cape Times, 20 April 2015

2014
     
'Blindfolded Line, Dancing Through Time', a limited edition book on the work of Liza Grobler with contributions by Amanda Botha, Andrew Lamprecht and Jeanetta Blignaut

FOR MORE REVIEWS, visit: http://lizagrobler.com/articlesreviews/