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Marna Hattingh

Artist Biography

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(b. 1977 Bloemfontein, South Africa)

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South African artist, Marna Hattingh’s travels between a hybrid of fine art, literature and the complexities or contemporary life. She interrogates and articulates its collective emotions and has developed a highly unique and sought-after style, strongly influenced by an Asian sensibility and her experience as an illustrator, blending wry humour and social comment into playful palettes with a serious undertone. Drawing inspiration from an eclectic range including media, fashion, history, and fictional novels, her finely drawn characters jump, dance and spin across timeless, patterned backgrounds. Each painting is extensively worked and contains its own complex narrative.

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Her distinctive graphic style is deeply layered and functions as a hyper-textual visual language, which allows the viewer to be rewarded with an awareness of the poetic and lyrical within his/her own wilderness.

Hattingh graduated from the University of Stellenbosch in 2000 with a BA Fine Arts degree, and a post-graduate Honours degree in Illustration. Her work is held in collections across South Africa and England.

Education

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1999, BAFA University of Stellenbosch

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2001 BA Hons. Illustration, Cum Laude

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Exhibitions

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2016       Art Central, Hong Kong

Africa Now, WorldArt, Cape Town, South Africa 

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2015       Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Australia

Picture & Paper, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

Cape Town Art Fair, South Africa

Memories in Motion, M. Contemporary, Sydney

Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town 

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2014       The Trouble With Memory Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town 

Colour Collaborations V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

Flair Magazine/Jil Sander Installation, Milan, Italy, 

Launch Exhibition Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town 

Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, 

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2013       Crossing the Divide Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town

Cape Town Art Fair Cape Town 

Joburg Art Fair Johannesburg 

Exchange, Queen Street Gallery, Sydney, 

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2010       Each Their Own Wilderness M Contemporary, Australia 

Group Exhibition, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town 

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2008       Verf. Blank Projects, Cape Town 

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2007       Paper and me. Association of Visual Arts. Cape Town 

Roem. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees. Oudtshoorn 

2007      Room-travel: particularly recommended for those afraid of high cliffs, robberies and tropical diseases. With Jeanne Hoffman. WhatiftheWorld. Cape Town (Two person show)

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2006       The Collage Show. WhatiftheWorld 

Choice assortment. WhatiftheWorld 

Illustration Nation. WhatiftheWorld. Cape Town 

AVA Committees Choice. Association of Visual Arts, Cape Town 

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2005      Paper never lies Group exhibition of the College of Cape Town Art Department staff. VEO Gallery 

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2002      Fantastic Rubbish. World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg 

Koester. Rust-en-Vrede Gallery. Cape Town 

Clean Up. Site Specific installation at the Cape Town Naval Base 

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2001       Exhibition of work by Honours Students, University of Stellenbosch Gallery 

 

2000      Emergency. Work by Young Cape Town Artists. Brendon-Bell Roberts Gallery, Cape Town 

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1999       New Signatures. Belville Art Centre 

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Solo Exhibitions

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2010       Group Exhibition, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town 

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2008       Verf. Blank Projects, Cape Town

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2007       Paper and me. Association of Visual Arts. Cape Town 

Roem. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees. Oudtshoorn 

Room-travel: particularly recommended for those afraid of high cliffs, robberies and tropical diseases. With Jeanne Hoffman. WhatiftheWorld. Cape Town 2007

 

Group Exhibitions

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2006       The Collage Show. WhatiftheWorld 

Choice assortment. WhatiftheWorld 

Illustration Nation. WhatiftheWorld. Cape Town 

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2005       AVA Committees Choice. Association of Visual Arts, Cape Town 

Paper never lies Group exhibition of the College of Cape Town Art Department staff. VEO Gallery 

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2002       Fantastic Rubbish. World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg

Clean Up. Site Specific installation at the Cape Town Naval Base

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2001       Exhibition of work by Honours Students, University of Stellenbosch Gallery

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2000      Emergency. Work by Young Cape Town Artists. Brendon-Bell Roberts Gallery, Cape Town

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1999       New Signatures. Belville Art Centre

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Publications

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2013       Each Their Own Wilderness Exhibition Catalogue, .M Contemporary, Sydney, Australia 

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Awards

  

2012      Merit Award Winner Vuleka Art Competition 

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1999      New Signatures. Bellville Art Centre. Award for sculpture 

 

Residencies and workshops

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(September 2007)      Insaka International Artists Workshop. Siavonga. Zambia

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(November 2007)       Frans Masereel Centre Printmaking Residency, Kasterlee, Belgium

Collections

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First Rand Bank, Johannesburg, South Africa

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Hollard, Johannesburg, South Africa

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Spier, Cape Town, South Africa

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Nandos, United Kingdom

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