Full Biography
Lorraine van Wyk’s artistic style is contemporary portrait photography combined with impasto style paint on her human canvas. From a young age, she demonstrated a natural propensity for fine drawing and painting.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, she left in the late 90’s to travel as an international fashion model. She moved back to South Africa in 2015 and decided to focus her attention solely on her creativity and independent style as an artist rather than being the face of another’s vision.
Largely self-taught and fine-tuned in many disciplines thanks to her involvement in the fashion industry and interest in museums and culture, she also attended short courses in various cities across the world. She developed her technique further as a photographer, stylist, set builder and painter. Lorraine sets her subjects up herself before painting and photographing them, aiming to execute the portrait within an hour.
Her subject matter has ranged from archetypes to nations, to musicians, to conservation, and nature. She has a deep love of music and has collaborated with many musicians including commissioned album covers.
” Human is my canvas . I use a variety of materials and processes in each painting. My aim is to draw deeper meaning from my subjects, transcending language and cultural barriers by portraying archetypes through their own story.
I believe through storytelling we can connect to people from all walks of life
and it serves to satisfy a basic human need for connection.
I combine background and foreground artwork around my subjects in order
to weave layers, stories, meanings and materials together for the viewer to
read. I enjoy challenging the viewer to question the subtle detail of what
they believe they see by closer inspection.” – Lorraine van Wyk
Her work appears in private collections world wide.
Exhibition History
2022 August/September—Afrikanos “Group Exhibition” — Gansbaai, SA
2020 March—-Art on Park “Group Exhibition” —- Cape Town, SA
2018 August—Cafe Colombia ”Group Exhibition” —- -Cape Town, SA
2018 July— Manzart “Turbine Art Fair” —- Johannesburg, SA
2018 March— Hugo Naude Art Centre — Group Exhibition — Worcester, SA
2017 July— – Cafe Colombia “Group Exhibition” —-Cape Town, SA
2017 June— PAX Gallery —- “Art Basel” — Basel, Switzerland
2016 December— “Barcelona Art Fair” — Barcelona, Spain
Publications
2019 — Africa Is Now Magazine – “Ezra Mabengeza”
https://africaisnowmag.com/ezra-mabengeza/
2017 — Afribeing – “Artist in Action Lorraine van Wyk – Art Is My Freedom”
http:// afribeing.com/shaper/artist-action-lorraine-van-wyk-art-freedom/
Commissions
2020 — Live Performance at Shimmy Beach Club for “The BOHO Experience”
event — Painting and photographing to produce two portraits.
2018 — Album Cover artwork for “ IMPOSSIBLE MACHINE” by Ard Matthews
2017 — Album Cover artwork for “CHINA” by The Parlotones for their 20th
Anniversary
2018 March – June — Portraits for “Conservation Music” of musicians for their trips
in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland
2017 — “Cosmic Ties” for Aad and Remco van der Linden for their private
collection.