BIO
Gawie Joubert (South African, b. 1988) is a visual artist, illustrator and graphic designer. He lives and works from his studio in Berlin, Germany.
Joubert obtained a Graphic Design degree from the North-West University in 2010. Hereafter, he had a brief career as an award-winning Art Director, Illustrator and Illustration lecturer.
In 2014, Joubert focused his attention on his fine-art career and became a full-time artist. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions and art fairs locally and abroad and has been selected as part of the Top 30 for the SA Taxi Foundation Art Award (2017) and the Top 100 for the Thami Mnyele Fine Art Award. Joubert held his debut solo exhibition, Biophilia in 2016 at In Toto Gallery in Johannesburg. In 2017, he was invited to The Budapest Art Factory International Artist and Curator Residency Program where he spent 5 months living and working in Hungary.
Joubert is known for his ethereal ink and charcoal drawings, that evolve around complex connections between humans and nature. His current work can broadly be described as an experimental process, where he masterfully surrenders control to allow his medium to lay the foundation for his art-making. Fueled by his belief that humans are dependent on nature for psychological and physical well-being, Joubert creates artworks mostly depicting morphed figures and greenery. These artworks simultaneously explore the artists own interest in the fluidity of identity.
“Gawie has been an absolute pleasure to work with. Each show he has been included in has been a success, with clients responding to his works in the gallery and commissioning more to be done after the show. His work is beautiful, experimental and thought-provoking. He is definitely a young, upcoming artist to watch!”
“Gawie is a thoughtful and conscientious artist who gives fine attention to detail in his works. He is highly skilled as an artist and an exceptionally talented graphic illustrator. Joubert’s dedication to his work and the meticulous working processes makes him an artistic talent to be reckoned with. I have worked with him during the Clover Aardklop Arts Festival 2015, where Joubert exhibited in the group show entitled, “The Games People Play”. His careful and diligent consideration of the theme was remarkable. Joubert’s professional demeanor and approachable personality correlates with his incredible work ethic and this would be my foremost reason for recommending him as a professional artist.”
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 55X3, Kunstfabrik HB55, Berlin
2023 Vernissage, LiTE-HAUS Galerie + Projektraum, Berlin
2021 Pop-Up Art Exhibitions, The Ballery, Berlin
2021 Hot Mess, Napoleon Komplex , Berlin
2020 Hot Mess, Prince Charles, Berlin
2020 Vanishing Act KKNK, Oudtshoorn.
2019 Selfie, Glen Carlou, Cape Town
2019 In-between flesh and bones, ψυγείο Project Space, Larnaka, Cyprus.
2018 Grand IV, Rust en Vrede, Cape Town
2018 Turbine Art Fair, Lizamore & Associates, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg
2018 Salon group show, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg
2018 Group show, Eclectica print Gallery, Cape Town
2018 Jan Celliers, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg
2017 20x20, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
2017 Jan Celliers, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg
2017 SA Taxi foundation art awards, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg
2016 SAADA, Red Room, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town
2016 That Art Fair, Red Room, The Palms, Cape Town
2016 World Art Dubai, Red Room, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai
2016 30 x 30, Rust en Vrede, Cape Town
2016 Alteration, 99 Loop Gallery, Cape Town
2016 Group show, Red Room, Cape Town
2015 Fresh Young Talent, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
2015 #Voices Against Xenophobia, Greenside Quarter, Johannesburg
2015 Turbine Art Fair, In Toto Gallery, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg
2015 Games People Play, Clover Aardklop Festival, Potchefstroom
2015 Young Collectors, Fried Contemporary, Pretoria
2015 Spring, The Art Room, Johannesburg
2014 Gold Rush, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
2014 Menagerie, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
2014 Turbine Art Fair, In Toto Gallery, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg
2014 Colour in the Forest of Winter, The Art Room, Johannesburg
2014 Joburg Fringe, Aerial Empire, Johannesburg
2014 Thami Mnyele Fine Art Awards, Coen Scholtz Recreational Centre, Johannesburg
2014 Salon One, Upstairs@bamboo, Johannesburg
2014 The Benediction of Shade II - Joburg: City of Trees, David Krut, Johannesburg
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Foliage to Flesh, Aardklop, Johannesburg
2020 Foliage to Flesh, Craft + Graft, Cape Town
2017 Növényember, Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town
2017 Human Nature, Budapest Art Factory, Budapest
2016 Biophilia, Curated by Megan Kidd, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
COMPETITIONS
2017 Top 30 SA Taxi foundation art award
2014 Top 100 Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards
2012 Pendoring (Gold)
2012 BEES Awards (Gold)
2012 John Caples International Awards (Gold)
2011 Pendoring Finalist
2011 Loerie Finalist
RESIDENCIES
Budapest Art Factory, Budapest, Hungary, June - October 2017
EXPERIENCE
Art Director, Joe Public, Johannesburg, 2011 - 2012
Designer and illustrator, Garage East, Johannesburg, 2012 - 2014
Illustration lecturer, DSSA 2015
Design Lecturer, Vega 2018 - Currently
Freelance artist, 2014 - Currently