About The Artist
Artist BiographyBorn in 1985, Ronél de Jager is a South African visual artist and independent curator and art project manager based in Johannesburg. In 2004, de Jager decided on a career in the visual arts and embarked on a BTech (Fine Art) Degree at the Tshwane University of Technology, where she obtained distinctions in Painting and Printmaking in her final year. Since then she has been a regular finalist in national art competitions, namely Sasol New Signatures (in 2007, 2008 and 2010), Absa L’Atelier Art Awards (in 2008 and 2013, and Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards (in 2006 to 2011) and has participated in curated group exhibitions at South Africa's major National Arts Festivals, the KKNK, the Grahamstown National Arts Festival and Aardklop. Her work has also been shown in important university galleries (University of Johannesburg, UNISA and Tshwane University of Technology), corporate galleries (Telkom, Sasol and ABSA), project spaces (ROOM Gallery & Projects, Gordart Gallery project room) as well as commercial galleries (Lizamore & Associates Gallery, Lovell Gallery). From 2007 to 2013, in addition to pursuing her career as a visual artist, De Jager immersed herself in the South African art industry, making a name for herself as Arts Administrator and later Gallery Manager and Assistant Curator at Artspace Gallery (now Lizamore & Associates) in Johannesburg. Under the guidance of curator and director Teresa Lizamore, she developed a fondness for following and supporting the careers of local artists and acquired the skills needed to successfully initiate and support innovative contemporary art in South Africa. During this period de Jager helped stage over 75 exhibitions and worked on projects such as the Artspace Mentorship Programme 2008 – 2012, the Johannesburg Art Fair 2010 - 2012 and the Ik ben een Afrikander project 2011/2012. In 2012, De Jager made her début as a curator with New Voices, a group exhibition which focused on recognising young up and coming artists and providing them with a platform within the commercial gallery sector. Although she left Artspace in March 2013 to focus on her career as an artist, independent project manager and curatorial assistant, her curatorial début was such a success that she was invited back as an independent curator for the New Voices II exhibition the following year. In 2013, De Jager assisted contemporary artist Usha Seejarim with various projects including the implementation and development of the Art of Access webinar series. She also helped with community projects such as artwork for the Nelson Mandela Day mosaic created by the pupils of St James Preparatory School in Johannesburg and, more significantly, was involved in the creation of the Official Portrait for the late President Nelson Mandela’s funeral in Qunu in December 2013. As an artist, de Jager's work traverses the mediums of painting, video, multi-media and public art. Artist CVBorn 20 August 1985, Johannesburg, South Africa EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND 2012 - PUBLIC ACCESS | Johannesburg's 2nd Conference on Public Art hosted by Trinity Session & Johannesburg Development Agency, MOAD, Johannesburg 2012 - Public Art workshop hosted by Assemblage and artist Usha Seejarim, Johannesburg 2012 - ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Creative economy conference, University of Johannesburg 2012 - Writing, Budgets & Funding workshop hosted by Assemblage and the Ithuba Arts Fund, Johannesburg 2011 - Artist Portfolio workshop hosted by Assemblage & Bag factory, Johannesburg 2010 - Professional Practice for the Visual Artist seminars hosted by Artspace & Art Source South Africa, Johannesburg 2004 - 2006 - Studied towards a BTech (Fine Arts) degree at the Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria
2004 - Workshop in design, Design School South Africa, Johannesburg 2003 - Matriculated, Die Adelaar, Johannesburg ART INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE 2013 - Official portrait for Nelson Mandela's funeral, assited commissioned artist Usha Seejarim, Qunu, Eastern Cape 2013 - New Voices II, Curator, hosted by Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg 2013 - The Art of Access webinar series, project manager, hosted by Usha Seejarim, Johannesburg 2012 - New Voices, Curatorial debut, hosted by Artspace Gallery, Johannesburg 2007 to 2013 - Gallery Manager & Assitant Curator, Artspace Gallery, Johannesburg SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2015 - A.M. (After Midnight) debut solo exhibition (final in a three part series), Lizamore & Associates Gallery, Johannesburg 2014 - A.M. (After Midnight): An Interlude debut solo exhibition (second instalment in a series of three), featured at Turbine Art Fair 2014, Johannesburg 2014 - A.M. (After Midnight): A Prelude debut solo exhibition (first instalment in a series of three), ROOM Gallery & Projects, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2009 - 123...blokmyself! Gordart Gallery project room, Johannesburg SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2015 - Barclay's L'Atelier Art Awards exhibition, curated by Dr Paul Bayliss, selected as a Top 100 finalist, ABSA Gallery, Johannesburg 2015 - Turbine Art Fair: New works presented by Lizamore & Assoc. Gallery, Turbine Hall, Newtown, Johannesburg 2015 - Last night I had the strangest dream, Group exhibition curated by Layla Leiman, Twilsharp studios, Johannesburg 2015 - Winter is Coming, Group exhibition curated by Carina du Randt, Equus Gallery, Cavalli Estate Somerset West, Cape Town 2015 - MACABRE, Group exhibition curated by Dead Bunny Society, Under Culture Contemporary, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape 2015 - Cape Town Art Fair, New works presented by Lizamore & Assoc. Gallery, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town 2014 - A Discord interactive performance by Ronel de Jager in association with Site_Specific, Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, Emmarentia 2014 - Site Specific Jozi Land Art, Group exhibition curated by Site_Specific, Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, Emmarentia 2014 - Salon I, Group exhibition curated by Ann-Marie Tully, Upstairs at Bamboo, Johannesburg 2014 - Turbine Art Fair, Selected works represented by Lizamore & Assoc. Gallery, Turbine Hall, Newtown, Johannesburg 2014 - Point of Departure, Group exhibition curated by Teresa Lizamore, Lizamore & Assoc. Gallery, Johannesburg 2014 - Concurrere, Group exhibition curated by Front Room Art & Platform on 18th, Kiviets Kroon & Front Room Art, Pretoria 2014 - Showcase One, Group exhibition curated by Gordon Froud, Bayliss Gallery, Johannesburg 2013 - MUSE, Group exhibition, Casa Labia Gallery, Muizenberg, Cape Town 2013 - Trip the light Fantastic, Group exhibition curated by Platform on 18th, Small Studios, Pretoria 2013 - Interrupted, Group exhibition curated by Annali Cabano-Dempsey, University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg 2013 - Turbine Art Fair, represented by Artspace Gallery, Johannesburg 2013 - ABSA L'Atelier Art Awards exhibition, curated by Dr Paul Bayliss, selected as a Top 100 finalist, ABSA Gallery, Johannesburg 2013 - Modern Miniatures, Touring group exhibition, ART Gallery in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth & Grahamstown National Arts Festival, Cape Town 2013 - No Place Like Now, Group exhibition curated by Emma Willemse & Tamzin Lovell, Lovell Gallery, Cape Town 2013 - PULP, Group exhibition curated by Dawid Ras, Dawid's Choice Gallery, Johannesburg 2013 - Tom Waits for No Man, National touring group exhibition curated by Gordon Froud, Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn & UJ Gallery, Johannesburg 2012 - Tshayile!, Group exhibition, collaboratively curated by Front Room Art and Platform on 18th, Studio Vertel, Pretoria 2012 - Rendezvous Focus Painting, Group exhibition, University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg 2012 - TUT Alumni exhibition, Tshwane University of Technology Art Gallery, Pretoria 2011 | 2012 - Altered Pieces, National touring group exhibition curated by Gordon Froud, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein & Cape Town 2011 | 2012 - 360° of Johannesburg, curated by Teresa Lizamore, Artspace Rosebank, Johannesburg 2010 - Thami Mnyele Fine Art Award exhibition, work selected for top 89, Coen Scholtz recreation centre Kempton Park, Johannesburg 2010 - Oppitafel X, Group exhibition curated by Teresa Lizamore, Artspace Warehouse, Johannesburg 2009 - Ekurhuleni National Fine Art Awards exhibition, 2 works selected for top 79, Coen Scholtz recreation centre Kempton Park, Johannesburg 2009 - Oppitafel IX, Group exhibition curated by Teresa Lizamore, Artspace Rosebank & Artspace Warehouse, Johannesburg 2008 - ABSA L'Atelier Art Awards exhibition, ABSA Gallery, Johannesburg 2008 - Sasol New Signatures Fine Art Awards exhibition, 2 works selected for top 100, Pretoria Art Museum 2008 - Sasol's 3rd Annual Miniatures exhibition, Sasol Limited, Johannesburg 2007 - TUT Degree & Diploma exhibition hosted by Tshwane University of Technology, UNISA Gallery, Pretoria 2007 - Ekurhuleni National Fine Art Awards exhibition, 2 works selected for top 82, Coen Scholtz recreation centre Kempton Park, Johannesburg 2007 - Sasol New Signatures Fine Art Awards exhibition, 2 works selected for top 89, Pretoria Art Museum 2006 - 5 Woman Artists exhibition, the Garage Gallery, Pretoria 2003 - Gauteng Department of Education exhibition, Die Adelaar, Johannesburg 2002 - MTN Art Colours exhibition, Sandton Civic gallery, Johannesburg 2002 - MTN Break the Silence exhibition, Sandton Civic gallery, Johannesburg 2001 - Words & Visions World Conference exhibition, Durban COLLECTIONS 2014 - South African National Library Art Collection 2014 - Rand Merchant Bank Corporate Art Collection 2013 | 2015 - Nando's South Africa, Malaysia & UK Art Collections 2013 | 2015 - Spier Arts Trust & Spier Arts Hotel Collections 2013 - Yellow Wood Arts Corporate Art Collections 2011 - TELKOM SA Corporate Art Collection 2008 - Sasol Limited Corporate Art Collection 2003 to 2015 - Various National and International Private Collections (Mauritius, Switzerland, London, Germany, United States amongst others) AWARDS 2003 - Gauteng Department of Education Achiever Award - Top Achiever in Painting, Graphic Art and Design 2003 - MTN Art Awards - MTN Art Colour Award 2003 - Design School South Africa - Top art Student Award in 2003 2003 - Adelaar Art Award - Top student for Painting, Graphic Art and Design over five years 2001 - Santam Art Award - Gold medal 2001 - Organ Donor Foundation Art Competition - Merit award 2001 - Words & Visions World Conference Art Competition - Third prize internationally, Durban 2001 - Agriculture South Africa - Group award first prize 2000 - Santam Art Award - Gold medal 2000 - ATKV Lapjol Competition - First prize in Fashion Design
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