Art form Still Life to be in focus at group exhibition
BY CityLife Arts Writer
Still life, as an artistic form, that is often not given the same attention as other forms, for example portraiture will be on focus in the forthcoming group exhibition that will take place at David Krut Arts Projects Gallery next week.
Announcing ‘Still Life: A contemporary arrangement’ – a group show exploring the still life genre by contemporary artists affiliated with David Krut Arts.
This exhibition opens on July, 5, 2025, at 11am David Krut Projects, The Blue House, 151 Jan Smuts Avenue Parkwood.
Throughout art history, the still life has served as a fertile ground for artistic invention. Traditionally considered a minor genre – often defined by the absence of the human figure – still life has nevertheless been a site of experimentation, symbolism, and reflection.
Margit Rowell, former Chief Curator of Drawings at the Museum of Modern Art, noted that artists have used the seemingly static depiction of objects to challenge the perception of still life as a lesser form. In doing so, they offer a unique index of their formal concerns, personal interests, and cultural contexts.
This exhibition presents works by contemporary artists, each reinterpreting the still life tradition in their own way. Whether through the arrangement of inanimate objects or the processes involved in rendering them, these works invite the viewer to reconsider what is often overlooked.
At its core, the still life is an arrangement of objects connected to form a unified, organic whole – visually compelling and often rich in hidden or symbolic meaning. It is a genre rooted in the artist’s choice and organisation of elements, used to express both personal and collective worldviews, and to reflect structures of desire, perception, and technical innovation.
The following artists will be showcased at the exhibition: Deborah Bell Bronwyn Findlay Roxy Kaczmarek Maja Maljević Anna van der Ploeg Click here for images Peter Cohen Heidi Fourie William Kentridge Phumulani Ntuli Adele van Heerden For sales or general inquiries contact: info-jhb@davidkrut.com Boemo Diale Heike Jeske Stephen Langa
More about David Krut Arts
Established in 2002, David Krut Projects is a dynamic arts institution promoting contemporary culture and careers in the arts through collaboration and knowledge-sharing. With galleries in Johannesburg and New York, and a print workshop in Johannesburg, we’ve collaborated with leading South African and international printmakers and artists including, William Kentridge, Deborah Bell, Mary Sibande, Boemo Diale, Natalie Paneng, Diane Victor, and Maja Maljević amongst others.