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About The Artist

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Statement of Motivation

December 10.2024.

Regi Bardavid was born in Alexandria Egypt and has travelled extensively, living in Italy, Zimbabwe, Zaire and South Africa. She has remained rooted in the “abstract “ throughout her career which spans more than four decades.

Her inspiration comes from the act of play. “ releasing the Self of all obligations and constrictions of upbringing. “

My artistic journey can best be described as a voyage through imaginary landscapes, where vibrant hues and non figurative forms converge to evoke emotions and stir the imagination. Each painting is a spontaneous exploration, a dance of intuition, and a dialogue between myself and the canvas, Inspiration also emerges from the patterns left by coffee remnants, a ritual i adopted from my time in Egypt.

These diverse stimuli ignite my creativity leading me to seek surprise and discovery in my work. Meditations plays a crucial role in my practice, helping me enter a state of flow where paintings unfold organically. I embrace the notion of the Zone, where the act of creation feels effortless, allowing the artwork to manifest itself.

Despite studying art history extensively, I ultimately returned to my roots in abstract expressionism, finding solace in its freedom of expression

Artist Biography

Education

She studied at the Johannesburg Art Foundation under the guidance of Bill Ainslie (1979-1983). Completed her Matric in 1984 and enrolled as a Fine Art student at UNISA in 1985 achieving a B.A.F.A. in 1989.

The title of her dissertation was: THE UNCONSCIOUS AS A MEDIUM TOWARDS INTUITIVE INSIGHT AND CREATIVITY.

Regi attended Joyce Leonard's discussion group between 1987-1993.

Awards


1984 and 1989: Merit award winner for the New Signature competition
1994 and 1995: Kempton Park Awards
1994: Bertrams African Award
2003: Finalist for the Brett Kebble Awards
2015: Recipient for numerous prizes from Italy such as the Sandro Botticelli prize
2015: Roma Imperiale International prize, Italy
2015: Marco Polo International Prize, Italy
2015: Contemporary Paradise prize, Italy

Solo Exhibitions


South African Association of Art, Cape Town - 1995
Primart Gallery, Cape Town - 1996
Catalyst Gallery, Johannesburg - 1997
Cite International des Arts, Paris, France - 1997
Association of Visual Arts, Cape Town - 1998
South African Association of Arts, Pretoria - 1998
Sandton Square Gallery, Johannesburg - 1999
The Ivory Room, Cape Town - 2002

Selected Group Exhibitions


Johannesburg Art Foundation, Johannesburg - 1987
Natal Association of South African Art, Durban - 1989
Ente Mostra Nazionale di Pittura Contemporranea, Italy, USA & France - 1991
South African National Gallery, Cape Town - 1992
Nice Expo, Dart International, Nice, France - 1996
Espace de Lille, Nice France - 1997
Sandton Civic Gallery, Johannesburg - 1999
Art Space Gallery, Johannesburg - 2001
Liza Nicole Fine art, Cape Town - 2003
Integrating Cultures. Sandton Square Gallery 1996 – 2020
Rose Korber Art Salon - 2003
The White House Gallery 2005 Art London. U.K. - 2005
Grupo Batik Art Sala Barna. Barcelona, Spain - 2005
Florence Biennale. Italy - 2005
The White House Gallery - 2006
Meier Chocolate Factory Gallery, London Bridge 2009
ArtSpace Gallery - 2008
Gallery 2 - 2010
Paris Art Expo at the Carousel du Louvre - 2015
African Contemporary Art Fair. Somerset House London - 2016

Public and Private Collections


The Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town
University of Pretoria
The University of South Africa (UNISA), Pretoria
The South African Embassy. Paris, France
The South African Embassy. Washington, USA
The Constitutional Court. Johannesburg, SA
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Johannesburg, SA
Rand Merchant Bank. Johannesburg, SA
The South African Breweries MTN. Johannesburg, SA
Sanlam Bank. Johannesburg, SA
Telkom. Johannesburg, SA
Boland Bank, Johannesburg, SA
Spescom Electronics, Johannesburg, SA
NAPPO. Johannesburg, SA
SASOL. Johannesburg, SA
Origins. Johannesburg, SA
The Openheimer Collection. Johannesburg, SA
Investec Bank. Johannesburg, SA
BMW. Cape Town, SA
Telkom. Cape Town, SA
Wooltru. Cape Town, SA
Vodacom. Cape Town, SA
Spier Collection. Cape Town, SA
Old Mutual. Cape Town, SA
SAB Miller. London, UK
Ellerman House. Cape Town, SA
Commonwealth Bank Australia (London Head Office)




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