Noeleen Kleve

STATEMENT

I am a visual artist living and working in Kommetjie, on the Cape Peninsula between the mountains and the ocean at the southern tip of South Africa. Living in this environment provides great inspiration for visual expression.

In 2013 I completed a degree in conceptual visual art with UNISA and moved from a career in Graphic Design to being a full time artist.

Printmaking is my preferred medium, nourishing my intrigue for both mark-making and texture. I enjoy the excavation of an etching plate as much as the layering of tone and line on a monotype or drawing, together with the ongoing exchange between the artwork and the idea – allowing for compelling transformation and metamorphosis.

I am inspired by my Creator, by observations of land/scape and a sense of place - in both a geographical as well as a spiritual sense. Personal loss has also impacted my making and added a profound underpinning to my artwork, with sometimes abstract and symbolic imagery bringing a deeper meaning.

Mapping and aerial perspectives alluding to liminal or in-between spaces, provide a visual metaphor for finding my way, along with more intricate images of flora inspired by my regular walks in the mountains.

I’m grateful for sharing my passion for the gift of art-making through offering etching classes and printmaking workshops, while articulating my ideas and imagery, and giving meaning to the artworks I create.