Checkers & A Guinea Fowl

Ruan Jooste

Ruan Jooste, born in 1988 in Nigel, South Africa, has long been drawn to creative expression as a way of understanding the world. He began in fashion design before turning to photography, teaching himself composition, light, and narrative, skills that now underpin his digital painting practice. His layered, meticulously detailed works balance realism with subtle surreal undertones, often exploring memory, vulnerability, and contemporary identity.

Having lived in Pretoria, Toronto, Johannesburg, Phuket, and now Cape Town, Jooste’s global experiences reinforce his belief in shared human experience: “As human beings, we are more alike than we are different.”

In 2021, he held his first solo exhibition in Cape Town to critical acclaim. His work has appeared on the covers of Sunday Times Lifestyle and Art Times, in House & Leisure and Dossier Magazine, and internationally at the AKAA Art Fair in Paris, New York, Austria, and Germany. His art is included in the official RMB collection and has been featured in a Strauss & Co. auction.

Jooste works digitally with a Wacom tablet in Photoshop, building each piece stroke by stroke without filters or AI, emphasizing craftsmanship and digital painting as an extension of traditional fine art. In March 2025, he presented his solo exhibition “Tides,” further establishing his presence in contemporary art. Through his work, he portrays subjects as part of a shared human tribe defined by courage, positivity, and joy, bridging divides and highlighting commonalities that unite us.

Ruan Jooste is currently exhibiting at The Artists Gallery in Cape Town.

Please browse through Ruan Jooste’s catalogue to explore more available works.