Bio & CV

Wonder Marthinus is a painter living and working in Cape Town, South Africa. Marthinus’ works have been included in multiple local and international exhibitions and publications and the artist has been involved in numerous social outreach initiatives. Recent solo exhibitions include Malerei at Kunstverein Schallstadt (2013) and the Greatmore Studios 10th Year Celebration at the Irma Stern Gallery (2010). Recent group shows on which Marthinus has shown include The Artist’s Prism at Eclectica Modern (2015) and The Lookout by the AVA Gallery at the Cape Town Art Fair (2013). The artist has been involved in various outreach projects in Cape Town around issues of homelessness, justice and reconciliation, child abuse and mental health.

Marthinus currently works in his home studio in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. His works consider abstract concepts of reality, time, place and actuality. Reflecting these concepts, the paintings themselves range from being completely abstract to abstract-expressionist in style. Over the last several years, Marthinus has been working in Cape Town and Germany (Freiburg). The artist has mentally stored images from this experience and draws upon them in the creation of his paintings. Some of these images include physical photographs and drawings, while others are memories. By drawing on these images, the artist plays with the idea of eluding time, place and actuality in his work in order to ‘map’ new scenes and landscapes.

CV

Born in Knysna South Africa

1995 Begins career as painter

1999-2007 Artist-in-residence at Greatmore Studios

2003-2002  Jill Trappler Summer school Mix media workshop

2002/01 Thupelo Regional workshop, Malmesbury

2002/00 Thupelo International workshop

2005-2006 Artist-in-residence Switzerland, Basel (Pro Helvetia Cape Town)

2008 The road to Nieu Bethesda A collaborative workshop with Swiss and South African artists

Solo Exhibitions 

2013 Kunstverein Schallstadt Malerei

2010 Erma Stern Gallery Greatmore Studios 10th year celebration

2006 Association for Visual Arts The series inside out..

2003 Association for Visual Arts Windows a series..

2001 Greatmore Studios Artist Open studios

Selected Group Shows

2018 Gallery MOMO, Cape to Tehran Johannesburg and Cape Town

2015 Electica Modern, Claremont The Artist’s Prism

2013 Cape Town Art Fair The lookout (AVA Gallery)

2011 The AVA Gallery A Natural Selection 

2011 Bodenseekreis Museum, Germany Bring a friend with Suzi Juvan German Artistw

2011 Kunstverein Schallstadt, Germany Foreign Affairs

2011 Gallery Robert Keller Germany 15th year celebration

2011 Casa Labia Cape town Bloom

2010 UCA Gallery The Bijou burns

2010 The embassy of Spain A dip into the World Of Visual Arts Cape Town

2004 Stichting Arts & Theatre Amsterdam Identity

Installations 

2004 Association for Visual Arts Limited time

2003 Museum of Contemporary Performance Observatory L.T.D

2002 The cold room A tangled web ( with Monika Dillier (Swiss))

Outreach Projects

2003 The Homestead Peace One day International Workshop

2003 Center of the Book Justice and Reconciliation workshop

2002 Parliament Cape town Child Abuse Week

2000 Catholic Church Victoria Street Cape town Homeless Project

1999 Mental Health Project Valkenberg Outreach project

Publications

2011 Bodenseekreis Museum Rotes Haus Meersburg

2004 Stiching Arts & Theatre Amsterdam Identity

2002 Center of the book Getting the word out

Collections

Bodenseekreis Museum 

Erma Stern Museum

Spier Contemporary

South African Breweries Johannesburg

Rose Korber Art Consultancy SA

Nando’s UK

Work in various private collections in Canada, Switzerland, and Germany