Portraits by Schalk Van Der Merwe from South Africa.

BROKEN

From the Brush of Artist - My name is Schalk van der Merwe. Born and bred in Cape Town, now living and working from Hout Bay.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been involved in some form of creativity. From acting in school plays, performing at poetry competitions, studying graphic design to singing in indie bands in the 90’s, I’ve always found a way to express myself. At the end of the 90’s, I started a 15 year career as an internationally awarded creative in some of the top advertising agencies in South Africa. Four years ago I realised I had to find a new way to express myself creatively and took the leap of

faith into the Arts.

My approach is very much about taking the cognitive process out of the equation. I try and surrender as much as I can and let the work reveal itself to me. The faces I paint reveal themselves to me in blurred flashes, where identity, likeness and gender is not important or clear. These fleeting ghosts, always illicit a feeling in me and it’s that raw, visceral emotion I try to capture in my work.

For now I do portraits. We can all see ourselves, or at least, parts of ourselves in portraits. My paintings force the viewer to engage. In almost every one of my portraits the subject matter stares back at the viewer thereby confronting them and hopefully triggering emotions in them that they may not have experienced before. My work often unleashes emotions that many people don’t want to acknowledge or face. It is my responsibility as an artist to explore this part of the psyche that is

rarely acknowledged. It’s my responsibility to hold up a mirror to society. Sometimes these emotions can be gentle and beautiful, where as other times they can be brutal, raw and filled with utter despair. My work tries to reflect and make sense of it all. Tries to create a balance, so to speak.

I’m constantly inspired by the world I live in today. A world vastly different to the one I knew as a child. A world where instant gratification is the order of the day and everything seems accelerated and impermanent. This new digital age offers me so many opportunities to share my work, connect and engage with art lovers, collectors and ultimately network with global galleries and curators. This would not have been possible even 10 years ago. Through my Instagram account, @svandermerwe, I’ve expanded my global footprint immensely. In the past 5 months, my followers have increased by 11000. It’s crazy, humbling and amazing. This method of self promotion has introduced me to 3 of the galleries that now represent me worldwide. It has lead to many private sales and ultimately exposed my work entirely new audience of millions. I believe the days of working in a dark studio, feeling isolated, is not the only way anymore. There are so many opportunities available through these incredible social media platforms. Used selectively, these digital partners can be a massive boost to the careers of many artists that feel they’re not being seen or heard.

DISPOSABLE

FROM OUT OF NOWHERE 

FEMME FATALE

UNTITLED

SYMPHONY OF SCARS

THE STRAY

VISCERAL 14

VISCERAL 34

VISCERAL 61

VISCERAL 56

YOUR GHOST

For more of Schalk Van Der Merwe Check this link of his Instagram account:- https://www.instagram.com/svandermerwe/ or his website www.svdmstudio.com

All Images are copyright by: Schalk van der Merwe