(b. 1974 Johannesburg, South Africa)

Tamlin Blake holds a Masters Degree in Fine Art from the University of Stellenbosch. She has had eight solo exhibitions to date, the most recent being Revelation: Stories and Secrets Disclosed at CIRCA, Johannesburg (2015). She has also exhibited extensively in group shows nationally and internationally. Her work was included in the Synergy exhibition of contemporary bead art at Iziko Michaelis Collection (2005-06), the South African Art: Signs exhibition held at Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum in Bratislava (2007) and the Skin-to-Skin: Challenging Textile Art show, which formed part of the Kaunas Art Biennial TEXTILE 07 in Lithuania (2007). Her work was exhibited at the Spier Contemporary Exhibition (2008), included in the South African Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China and presented as a Spier Special Project at the FNB Joburg Art Fair in 2012. In 2003 she received the Brett Kebble Merit Award and in 2011 she was invited to the Frans Masereel Centre in Belgium for an artist's residency. Her work can be found in various corporate and public collections.

EDUCATION

2001               

Masters in Fine Art (Illustration), University of Stellenbosch

1999               

BA in Fine Art (Honours) Illustration, University of Stellenbosch

1995               

BA in Fine Art (Sculpture), University of Stellenbosch, top graduate student of the year

WORK EXPERIENCE

Currently, Tamlin Blake spends most of her time as a practicing artist and some of her time as Chief Curator for Yellowwoods Art (www.yellowwoodsart.co.za).

2006 - 2015    

Full-time practicing artist

2004 - 2005    

Studio Manager for the Qalo bead project (now Qubeka www.qubeka.co.za)

2003               

Art History and Drawing lecturer, College of Cape Town

2001 - 2002    

Lived and worked in Ireland, joined and exhibited with an artists’ group called the Red Dot.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019    

Tied by Time, CIRCA, Rosebank Johannesburg

2018    

Stealing Beauty, Everard Read Gallery, Rosebank Johannesburg

2015               

Revelation: Stories and Secrets Disclosed, CIRCA, Rosebank Johannesburg 14 May – 5 July

2013               

Altered Yarns Revisited, online exhibition at out of the Cube (www.outofthecube.co.za )

2012               

Spier Special Project: Tamlin Blake, The FNB Joburg Art Fair, 7-9 September

Altered Yarns, Spier Wine Estate, Cape Town

2008               

Private Spaces, Curious Whetstone and Frankly, Cape Town

2007               

Birthright, Bell-Roberts Contemporary Art Gallery, Cape Town and 2008 Hollard Gallery Hall, Johannesburg

2005               

Blood, Sweat and Tears, blank projects, Cape Town

2004               

Change of Address, AVA, Cape Town

2001               

Exploring Cremnophytes, Bang the Gallery, Cape Town

SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2015               

FNB Joburg Art Fair with Everard Read and Circa Galleries, 11 – 13 September

Summer Exhibition, Knysna Fine Art Gallery, 25 November – 15 January

2013           

Small Canvas Project, initiated by the Benetton Foundation and exhibited at Ca’ dei Carraresi, Treviso, Italy (2014) and Museo Bilotti, Rome, Italy (2014) and the Venice Biennale (2015)

SPI National Portrait Award, a portrait competition sponsored by Sanlam Private Investment. Shown at various galleries in South Africa through 2014.

2012               

The 8th Definitive Series of Stamps, Iziko Museums of South Africa (South African National Gallery)

2010               

South African Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, China

2009               

Keepsakes, AVA, Cape Town

2008               

Skin-to-Skin: Challenging Textile Art. Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg

2007-2008      

Spier Contemporary 2007. Spier Wine Estate and Johannesburg Art Gallery

2007               

Skin-to-Skin: Challenging Textile Art. Kaunas Art Biennial TEXTILE 07, Kaunas, Lithuania

South African Art, Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum. Bratislava, Republic of Slovakia

Portrait and Landscape, Bell-Roberts Gallery, Lourensford, Somerset West

2006

2006, print exhibition, Bell-Roberts Gallery, Cape Town

2005 - 2006    

Synergy, exhibition of contemporary bead art at Iziko Michaelis Collection (South African National Gallery), Old Town House, Greenmarket Square, Cape Town.

2005               

Shaping Place, Grande Provence Estate, Franschoek

Finding You, Collaborative work in clay, AVA, Cape Town

2004               

11th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA

Doring Dollies, AVA, Cape Town

Assemblage, Battersea Affordable Art Fair, London

2003               

Water Colour Society of Ireland  Annual Exhibition, Dun Laoighaire, Ireland. Botanical Art Exhibition, group show, Queen Victoria and Art Gallery, Tasmania, Australia

2002               

Fruits of Desire, joint exhibition, The Metatron Art Gallery, Co. Wicklow, Ireland Water Colour Society of Ireland Annual Exhibition, Dun Laoighaire, Ireland

Red Dot Artists. Bartley Dray gallery, 62 Old Church St, Chelsea, London

2001               

Botanical Art, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg

1998               

Botanical Art, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, RSA

Succulents in Botanical Art, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, RSA

COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS

2005               

ABSA l’Atelier Competition, National Exhibition, Johannesburg

2003               

Brett Kebble Art Awards, Merit Award, CTICC, Cape Town

2002               

Kirstenbosch Biennale, Silver medal, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town

Royal Horticultural Society Botanical Art Show, Silver-Gilt medal, RHS, London Awarded membership of the Water Colour Society of Ireland (WCSI) (2002 and 2003)

2000               

Inaugural Kirstenbosch Exhibition of Botanical Art, Bronze medal, Kirstenbosch, Cape Town

1996               

Volkskas L’Atelier Competition, National Exhibition, Johannesburg

1995               

Absolute Artistic License, First Prize, held by Absolute Vodka, Annex to the National Gallery, Cape Town

Top graduate student of the year, Department of Fine Art, University of Stellenbosch

RESIDENCIES

2011               

Frans Masereel Centre, Kasterlee, Belgium. A three-week residency focusing on two-colour, stone, lithographic printing.

CORPORATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Iziko Art Collections (South African National Gallery)

Spier Holdings Contemporary Art Collection

The Contemporary Collection for the New Hollard House at Villa Arcadia

South African Breweries

Erma Stern Museum, UCT

Meulensteen Collection, Slovakia

Nandos UK

Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, USA

Water Colour Society of Ireland at the University of Limerick

Botany Department of the University of Stellenbosch (commissioned by Dr. Piet Vorster and Dr. Betty Marais)

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town (commissioned by Dr. Ernst van Jaarsveld)

BOTANICAL WORK REPRODUCED IN

Flowering Plants of Africa, Volume 58, 2007

Cactus and Succulent Journal. (U.S.), Vol. 73, March-April 2001, no. 2. p 68.

Aloe. (South Africa), Vol. 38, No 1&2, 2001. p 30.