Cobb Institute Visual Arts Laureate
Andre van Zijl
As an award-winning artist of international merit, Zimbabwean born artist Andre van Zijl’s work has historically been artistic commentary on socio-political and global culture from a holistic spiritual standpoint. In his ancestral homeland, South Africa, he was a victim of political secret police, visiting each of his biannual one-person exhibitions to see if they could arrest him for a law banning negative representation of any S. African president, living or dead. disbanded a “freedom” choir he was working with; arrested, beat, jailed and exiled an African artist who partnered with him. This deeply motivated him to give voice to those without a voice. Art “is a creative sword for peace & equity.”
Eden Re-membered
His work from this era challenged the institutionalized inequities between the privileged few and the exploited dis-empowered masses, structured as apartheid – “apart-hate”. This included other forms of oppression that deny challenging art, cross-cultural communication, and democratic spiritual growth. Andre’s art, instrumental as a voice of progressive change in this tumultuous period, is represented in many important international museums, public and private collections and numerous publications worldwide. Most recently he was published in the 4 volume series – “100 Years of South African Art “ – by Wits University for the South African National Gallery, 2012, and most recently in “South Africa The Art of a Nation” - The British Museum, 2016.
Oversoul & the Self
Approximately Pierneef
A New Earth
Searching for Certainty
Bird-Man
Water
Walking Backwards I Enter Delicately
For more of Andre's work visit his website www.andrevanzijl.com.