JACO VAN SCHALKWYK

Jaco van Schalkwyk was born in 1981 in Benoni, South Africa, where he grew up in the headquarters of the Latter Rain Mission International.

The artist holds a BA degree in Historical studies at UNISA and currently resides in Randburg.Since the conception of his 2015 solo exhibition ‘Eden’ at the Barnard Gallery in Cape Town , Van Schalkwyk has been concerned with the idea of the exotic and the symbolism of forests and islands. Exploring beyond the surface of these places, the artist challenges our idea of ‘Utopia’ or ‘Paradise’ and questions the western notion that paradise is found in the beauty of exotic landscapes and / or ‘the other’. Reminiscent of Romantic landscape painting, Van Schalkwyk’s works use metaphor and symbolism to ascribe moral significance to the growth and decomposition of natural objects.His contemporary vistas speak of man’s abuse of the natural world and the threat of climate change. Where romanticism celebrated the idea of nature as both refuge and dream, Van Schalkwyk reveals that this very nature is being neglected and abused.

Van Schalkwyk has participated in numerous exhibitions in South Africa and abroad and is represented in several collections: The Reserve Bank of South Africa, Absa bank, RMB, the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg, the Pretoria Art Museum and the Ellerman Collection. The Barnard Gallery held five successful Solo exhibitions for the artist in recent years;”JustamatterofTime”in 2012 , “I,John,amtheonewhoheardandsawthesethings” in 2013, “Eden”in 2015 , “-arium” in 2017 and “ SmokeandMirrors”in 2021. In 2019 his work was shown as part of the 3 man exhibition “ALand INameYesterday“. The Gallery also presented the artist’s solo projects “Arcadia” at the 2016 FNB Jo’burg Art Fair and “ Nemora” at the 2018 Volta Art Fair in Basel, Switzerland.

Van Schalkwyk was awarded the Sylt Foundation Artist residency at the 2013 Absa L’Atelier Art Competition and has since been involved with several International projects hosted by the Foundation. The University of Johannesburg selected the artist in 2015 to attend the 6th International Beijing Biennale in China where his work formed part of the South African Group exhibition “ 20 – ArtinthetimeofDemocracy”.

Artist Statement

The word” Landscape” literally means ‘to shape the Land’. In this group exhibition Jaco van Schalkwyk extends the exploration of the troubled and paradoxical relationship between man and nature begun in his 2015 solo show Eden - witnessing and calling attention to the inherent dichotomies on which our understanding of the natural world are predicated. These are dichotomies of reverence and destruction, indulgence and neglect, connection and alienation.

Van Schalkwyk juxtaposes images in unusual ways from his travels and previous landscape exhibitions to create something new out of the old. He is particularly interested in the tension created in juxtaposing images from different contexts. The artist further draws on forest mythology in his paintings and in striking monochrome he contrasts the hopeful and the desolate.

Even though our impulse to romanticise Van Schalkwyk’s Landscapes is constantly undercut with a distinct unease about the long lasting effects of the negligence and selfishness of the human race, there might be a possibility of regeneration. Perhaps we are now witnessing a demise, but something new might come in its place.