(b. 1957, Johannesburg, South Africa)
Deborah Bell is one of South Africa’s most celebrated contemporary artists. She works in a range of media on canvas and paper, produces dry point etchings and large-scale bronzes. Her earlier more political work has given way to a broader, deeper investigation into the border been mortality and immortality, matter and spirit, presence and absence, the quotidian and the mythic, the grounded and transcendent. In recent years she has developed an immediately recognisable visual language, her images simple, stark, symbolic – grounded, silent, still, poised. As Ricky Burnett has stated: at the very edge of time.
In her iconography she draws from a range of cultures (including African, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, early Christian and European) and a range of philosophies (especially the Buddhist preoccupation with stillness and the shedding of attachment and the ego) and psychologies (more Jung than Freud) – but her work digs deeper, arriving finally out of an internal and personal place that Bell occupies in the world as an artist, a woman and an explorer. A central task is to make the unknown present – apprehended in a series of powerful images that are both of her and beyond her. Her earlier figures, characterised by entrapment (in the country, in the body), have given away to figures embodying the seeker – often accompanied by boats, horses, chariots. Images of lions, dogs, horses and angels recur. These are often intermediary figures between the physical world and a higher more spiritual realm. They are also aspects of herself – the powerful daemons that reside in all of us, which are often accompanied by solitary female figures, some full of assertive confidence, others more vulnerable and less sure of their agency. Bell is interested in the half-formed image – the unwritten, as yet unformed spaces we move towards in our quest for self-knowledge. More recent work has also become more concerned with surrender – to the higher self, the mystery of the universe, the simplicity of the present. All her art, she has stated, works towards the Zen mark: the single gesture of absolute presence. Her quest is ongoing – and has left in its wake a series of hugely powerful, totemic images from what Yeats called Spiritus Mundi.
Deborah Bell has worked with a great variety of media during her career and has collaborated on various historically important projects with contemporaries such as William Kentridge and Robert Hodgins. Bell received her BAFA (Hons) and MFA degrees at the University of Witwatersrand, and has been an artist working abroad and a lecturer at various South African tertiary institutions, including the University of the Witwatersrand. Bell lives and works from her studio in Magaliesburg, as well as being a collaborator at the David Krut studios on several projects.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBTIONS
2016
Dreams of Immortality, CIRCA Gallery, London, UK
2015
Dreams of Immortality, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town & Johannesburg, South Africa
Renunciation, David Krut, Johannesburg, South Africa
2013
What would wisdom say to you dark heart?, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2012
A far country, John Martin Gallery, London & Glydebourne Opera Festival, London, UK
2011
Presence, CIRCA & Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2010
Alchemy, David Krut, Johannesburg, South Africa
2009
Flux, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Flux, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Collaborations, David Krut, Johannesburg, South Africa
2007
Objects of Power: memory of metal, memory of wood, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2005-6
Crossings and Monuments, Oliewenhuis Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa
2005
Crossings and Monuments, Aardklop Festival Potchefstroom University Library Gallery, South Africa
2004
Sentinels, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2002
Unearthed, Joao Ferreira Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2001
Unearthed, The Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2000
The Journey Home, Art First, London, UK
1998
Displacements, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1995
Muses and Lamentations, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1989
Deborah Bell, Potchesfstroom Museum, South Africa
1982
Deborah Bell, Market Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
TWO/THREE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
1997
Collaborations 1986-1997 (11 years of collaborative projects between artists Kentridge, Hodgins and Bell) at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, in association with the FNB Vita Awards
UB101: A portfolio of etchings done in conjunction with Kentridge and Hodgins. Exhibited at the Grahamstown Festival and at the Gertrude Posel Gallery. Exhibition curated by Fiona Rankin-Smith.
1994
Memo, installation with video at the Grahamstown festival in collaboration with William Kentridge and Robert Hodgins
Lamentations, Art First, Cork Street. London, UK
1993
Easing the Passing (of the hours), Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Portraits in the round, ceramic exhibition in collaboration with William Kentridge and Retief van Wyk at the Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1992
Easing the Passing (of the hours), Waterfront, Cape Town. Computer Animation, laser prints and drawings in collaboration with William Kentridge and Robert Hodgins
1991
Little Morals, a portfolio of etchings done in conjunction with Hodgins and Kentridge, exhibited at the Cassierer Gallery, Johannesburg, Gallery International Cape Town, Taking Liberties, Durban, South Africa
1988
Exhibited with Jenny Stadler and Nagel at the Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1987-08
Hogarth in Johannesburg, a portfolio of etchings done in conjunction with Hodgins and Kentridge. This exhibition travelled to all the major centres in South Africa
1985
MAFA exhibition, Rembrandt Gallery, Milner Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
1983-4
Exhibited with Hodgins and Sassoon, Carriage House Gallery
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016
Opening Group Exhibition, CIRCA Gallery, London ,UK
Winter Collection, Group Show, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2015
Bronze, Steel & Stone, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa
1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, CIRCA Gallery Booth, London, UK
FNB Jo-burg Art Fair, Everard Read Gallery Booth, Johannesburg, South Africa
2013
Centenary Exhibition, CIRCA & Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa
2012
Rainbow Nation: Group exhibition of South African Sculptors Museum Beelden Aan Zee, Den Haag, Netherlands
2011
HORSE: 60 South African artists curated by Ricky Burnett, CIRCA & Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa
2010
TWENTY, 20 Years Of SA Sculpture, Nirox Foundation, South Africa
2009
Contemporary Sculpture in the Landscape, Nirox Foundation, South Africa
2007
Lift Off II, Goodman Gallery Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
David Krut print workshop, UNISA Art Gallery. Pretoria, South Africa
2005
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH, Miami Beach, USA, in collaboration with Goodman Gallery, South Africa
Works on Paper, Collaborative prints from David Krut Print Workshop, Franchise Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
David Krut Collaborations: 25 Years of Prints and Multiples, National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa
2004
Earthworks/Claybodies, Sasol Museum Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2003
Earthworks/Claybodies, Pretoria Art Museum, South Africa
Earthworks/Claybodies, Standard Bank Centre Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2000
Icons for the Millenium, Atlanta, USA
1999
The Paper Show, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Emergence, Group Show, National Arts festival, Grahamstown, South Africa
Artery, A.V.A Gallery, Cape Town – in conjunction with the Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Artists in residence, Standard Bank National Arts Festival, 25th Anniversary, Grahamstown, South Africa
1998
Earth Hues – Contemporary African Art, Group Show, World Space, Washington DC, USA
1997
Images and Form: Prints, drawings and sculpture from Southern Africa and Nigeria, Brunei Gallery, University of London and Edinburgh College of Art, UK
The Gencor Collection, Sandton Art Gallery, and The Grahamstown Festival, South Africa
Kempton Park Metropolitan Substructure Fine Arts Award Show, Kempton Park, South Africa
New Art from South Africa, Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
Les Arts de la Resistance, (Fin de Siecle a Johannesburg), Galerie Convergence, Galerie Jean-Christian Fradin, Galerie Michel Luneau, Galerie les Petit Murs, Nantes, France
Not Quite a Christmas Exhibition, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
CRAM, A.V.A Gallery, Cape Town – in conjunction with The Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
1996
Gay Rights: Rites, Re-writes, Travelling Exhibition, South Africa
Group Salon, Rose Korber representing artists at the Bay Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa
Common and Uncommon Ground: South African Art to Atlanta, City Gallery East, Atlanta, USA
Vita Awards, Johannesburg Art Gallery, South Africa
Tomorrow is Now, First Canadian Place and Knights Galleries International, Toronto, Canada
Barber Signs, The Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Recent Drawings, Gallery on Tyrone, Johannesburg, South Africa
Ceramics Biennal, Sandton Art Gallery, South Africa
1995
The Bag Factory: The First Five Years, the Civic Theatre Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
The Art of Tea, Kim Sacks Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Group Salon, Rose Korber representing artists at the Bay Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa
1994
Group Show, Newtown, Johannesburg, South Africa
Anything Boxed, Group Show, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
South African works on Paper, North Western University of Illinois, Chicago, USA
1993
Gallery on Tyrone, Johannesburg, South Africa
Vita Awards, Johannesburg Art Gallery, South Africa
Momentum Life Exhibition, Pretoria, South Africa
Internations of Millennium, Newtown Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1992
ICA, 50 Johannesburg Artists, Johannesburg, South Africa
Paris: The Catalyst, Alliance Francaise, Durban, South Africa
Looking at Art: Looking at Watercolours, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Vita Awards, Johannesburg Art Gallery, South Africa
Works made in August, Newtown Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1991
Cape Town Triennal, South Africa
Painted People: Painted Spaces, Newtown Galleries, Johannesburg, South Africa
Hand Coloured Graphics, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Tiny Tapestry Show, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1990
Women choose Women, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Art from South Africa, MOMA, Oxford, UK
Standard Bank Drawing Competition, Johannesburg, South Africa
1989
Volkskas Atelier Award Exhibition, South African Vita Awards, Johannesburg Art Gallery, South Africa
African Encounters, Dome Gallery, New York and Washington, USA
The Little Big Show, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1988
CASA (Culture for Another South Africa), conference in Amsterdam, Holland
Volkskas Atelier Award exhibition, South African Association of the Arts, Pretoria, South Africa
100 Artists Protest detention without trial, in aid of DPSC, Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa
Artists for Human Rights Exhibition, Durban Exhibition Centre, South Africa
1986
Volkskas Atelier Award Exhibition, South African Association of Arts, Pretoria, South Africa
4 UNISA Lecturers, Bloemfontein, South Africa
UNISA Art Lecturers, Pretoria Art Museum, South Africa
1985
Cape Town Triennal New Visions, market Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
11 Figurative Artists, Market Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
AWARDS AND MERITS
APSA Award for the Best New Signature, Ceramics Biennale, South Africa
Mamba Award for the Most Sustained Artist, South Africa
Merit Prize Winner, Volkskas Atelier, South Africa
Vita Quarterly Award, runner-up for Main Award, South Africa
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
BCE, Johannesburg, South Africa
Bell, Dewar and Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa
BHP Billiton South Africa Ltd.
Bristol Myers Squibb Corp.
Hara Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Johannesburg Art Gallery, South Africa
Johannesburg City Council , South Africa
King George VI Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth , South Africa
Legal Resources Centre, Johannesburg , South Africa
MTN Art Institute, Johannesburg , South Africa
Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C ,USA
Oliewenhius Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria, South Africa
Roodepoort Museum, Johannesburg, South Africa
SA National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Sanlam Collection, South Africa
Sasol Collection, South Africa
Smithsonian Insitute, Washington, D.C, USA
Standard Bank Investment Corporation, Johannesburg, South Africa
Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Telkom UNISA Art Gallery University of Pietermaritzburg Collection, South Africa
University of the Orange Free State Collection, South Africa
University of the Witwatersrand Collection, South Africa
USA Friends of the National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
COMMISSIONS
1999
Sculpture for Standard Bank, South Africa
1991
Large sculpture for Wits Business School, Johannesburg, South Africa
Artist-in-Residence, Standard Bank National Arts Festival – 25th Anniversary, Grahamstown, South Africa
1994
Involvement in movie animation for Arts Alive, South Africa
Title sequence for Grass Roots, NNTV , South Africa
1993
Graphics for Weekly Mail Film Festival Poster 1990-1 Set of 6 Graphics for First National Bank, South Africa
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