Fynbos Vase with Red Watsonias and Pincushions

Hermien van der Merwe

Hermien van der Merwe draws deep inspiration from the indigenous Cape Fynbos surrounding her home on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town. Her walks through the Table Mountain Nature Reserve immerse her in the rhythms, textures, and scents of nature, nurturing a contemplative creative process grounded in her reverence for the natural and spiritual world.

Her paintings explore the effects of fire, wind, rain, and drought on the Cape Fynbos biome. Working intuitively from memory, she translates the landscape’s energy into expressive oil paintings filled with dynamic brushwork and vibrant colour, often on an expansive scale.

In 2021, one of her works was selected as a backdrop for the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway station, with additional large-scale pieces later installed at both stations.

Trained at the University of Stellenbosch, she has been a full-time artist for over twenty years. Committed to raising awareness of the Fynbos biome, she is represented in Cape Town by The Artist Gallery and regularly participates in The Travelling Art Gallery.

Maureen Visagé – Ceramic Sculptures

Maureen Visagé is a South African artist based in Cape Town, known for her vibrant, whimsical ceramic and bronze figurines that celebrate love, joy, feminine strength, and the beauty of everyday life. With bold strokes and bright colours, her work is rich in character, emotion, and storytelling—each piece a unique expression of her boundless imagination.

Maureen’s artistic journey began in childhood and was nurtured at the Pretoria Art Music and Ballet School (Pro Arté), where she excelled in painting, puppetry, and sculpture. Alongside her creative pursuits, she developed a keen interest in mathematics, ultimately leading her to study Actuarial Science at the University of Cape Town. Though her career initially led her to London as a qualified actuary, her passion for art never waned.

In 2011, Maureen made the life-changing decision to devote herself fully to her art. Returning to South Africa, she joined a ceramic studio and immersed herself in the medium of clay, building a distinctive body of work that reflects her playful yet profound artistic voice. In 2018, she expanded into bronze, creating limited editions of her beloved figurines, adding depth and permanence to her sculptural repertoire.

Inspired by the nuances of daily life, her work combines quiet contemplation with humour and nostalgia. She often draws from fairy tales, religious imagery, and mythical themes, blending them into compositions that echo traditional European porcelain figurines with a distinctly hand-crafted, African twist. This fusion results in art that is both familiar and fantastical, inviting viewers into a layered world of emotion and interpretation.

Since 2019, Maureen has been a core member of The Travelling Art Gallery, and her work is currently featured exclusively at The Artists Gallery in Cape Town. Her sculptures are a testament to her artistic vision and technical skill, each piece infused with heart, imagination, and an unmistakable sense of joy.