UCA GALLERY - Wonder Marthinus

Wonder Marthinus

Wonder Marthinus was born in Knysna, lives and works in Cape Town. And has shown extensively in South Africa as well as in Germany. He has had four solo exhibitions in South Africa, and one abroad. Marthinus had been an artist-in-residence at Greatmore Studios for five years, and currently works from the Bijou Art Studios in Observatory, Cape Town.

His paintings developes from actual images of places which he has visited. These images could be drawings, photographs or images stored in his memory. These visuals are combined and manipulated to map out his own personal stories.

Confessions of a snake

Stories around the church and religion have always intrigued Wonder. This work was begun whilst traveling through Germany, visiting churches and cathedrals. The middle ages and how stories are told intrigues Wonder and he started collecting images from various cathedrals and churches, back in his studio he shifted (sifted) through his findings, mixed up information, and began painting confessions…

Walking Out on a Painting in the Green Room was inspired by meetings with the German artist Karlheinz Scherer - whom Marthinus met in Germany. Karlheinz Scherer is the nephew of the late Hermann Scherer - an artist who worked in sculpture, painting and woodcarving. After the death of his uncle, Karlheinz inherited two houses as well as a collection of artworks by Hermann and his colleagues. Karlheinz reconstructed these architectural spaces, combining furniture from various eras and unconventionally painting only parts of walls in vibrant colours. Marthinus then re-interpreted these transformed spaces (Karlheinz’s assemblages), and translated them into new constructions: that of painted spaces on canvas.