 | Corné Eksteen Corné Eksteen, born in 1973, Zastron, Free State, is a contemporary visual artist whose refined technique and evolving style have earned him recognition both in South Africa and internationally. He studied Fine Art at the University of Pretoria and the University of South Africa, and his early work in menswear design, interior decorating, and digital design significantly shaped his layered visual language. Working as a full-time artist since 1996, Eksteen merges figurative and abstract painting to create portraits that extend beyond physical resemblance. His work explores identity, self-perception, and the fragmented, fluid nature of the 21st-century psyche. Through visual deconstruction, he seeks to uncover deeper psychological and emotional dimensions within his subjects, encouraging viewers to reflect on the shifting constructs of contemporary selfhood. Each artwork begins with a photographic session, after which Eksteen meticulously deconstructs the images into narrow mirrored strips, forming sinusoidal wave patterns reminiscent of light and vibration. His technique balances transparency and opacity, darkness and light, precision and expressive spontaneity. While often minimal in appearance, his paintings carry a striking emotional intensity. A defining feature of Eksteen’s career is his continual reinvention, as he introduces new thematic “chapters” that push the boundaries of his portrait practice. His work has been exhibited internationally with The Travelling Art Gallery in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Palma de Mallorca, and Kitzbühel, and he is represented in Cape Town by The Artists Gallery. |
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