Bio and CV
Amanda Margaretha was born in South Africa to Dutch mother and Afrikaans father. From an early age her life has been shaped by cultural exchange and cultural diversity. She was known in school as “the student in class with strongest imagination.” Art making and travel became her two great passions. The idea of exploration sparked her desire to travel and discover cultures, food and new ideas. In 1989 she travelled to Europe – it was to be the first of many adventures around the globe. One milestone was her visit to Cairo 1996.
There she plunged into a spectacular cacophony of spices, patterns and colors that is the Middle East. This marked the beginning of a long term love affair with the Arab world. She explored Morocco, Turkey, Bahrain, Jordan, The United Arab Emirates, Syria and Lebanon. From 2002 – 2010 she was based with her family in Yemen, where the Queen of Sheba once ruled her mighty and wealthy kingdom. Sadly most of these countries today, are marred by war and poverty. This was also where she first conceived the idea of making art works with spices. As an artist she has been collecting and categorizing various spices which act as a metaphor how the threads of our ‘Being’ in this world are shaped by forces such as culture, faith, migration and the global economy. She also studies the history of the various spices used in the artworks to reference the mark it has made on the world we live in today.
Her work in general deals with the relationship (the push and pull) between the outer world (of economic aspirations) and the inner world (of faith convictions) as manifested through cultures.
The use of video installations and photography parallels her conviction that humanity’s evolutionary drive to find greener pastures through modernization, industrialization, trade, colonization and migration are predetermined factors that advance the progress of political and technological development, which in turn drives cross pollination of cultures. Her desire is that her work will lead the viewer down a path of exploration, investigation and discovery.
Personal Information
Date of Birth, Place: 18 April 1969, Lichtenburgh, South Africa
Gender: Female
Nationality: South African
Resident in United States, Tucson, Arizona
Awards, Articles, Documentaries & Publications
Ernest Cabat Award at the Arizona Biennial 2020,
Tucson Museum of Art (USA)
Mini Documentary: Spice – Amanda Margaretha
Nations Within (The Navigators – USA) 2019
Nationwide use of Woman of God 6 (2015) for printed materials and logo at conferences, seminars etc.
Mashahed Award 2017
Mashahed Exhibition, Bureimi Fine Art Gallery (Oman)
Pixalib, 2016. Best entries of 4th award addition (2016). Grand Carre (Coffee Table book which contain the best entries for International Emerging Artist Award 2016) http://pixalib.com/fr/international-emerging-artist-award/the-best-of-2016 (Page 25) (United Arab Emirates)
Leef Magazine, May 2015 edition (Page 92 & 93)
Du Plooy, A. 2015. Magic Carpet: Journey into interculturalism. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. (Exhibition Catalogue, Unisa Art Gallery, Pretoria, December 2014 – January 2015)
Unisa Excellence Award 2014
Magic Carpet Exhibition, Unisa Art Gallery (South Africa)
South African Art Times December 2014 – January 2015 edition. https://issuu.com/arttimes/docs/south_africa_art_times_december2014/22 ( Page 22)
Brits, L. 2017. Wolkie Woel sien homself . CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. (Illustrations in the book was done by Amanda Margaretha)
Professional experience
2019 – 2020
November 2020 Resident artist at Catalyst Arts & Maker Space (Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance). Project involved making a site specisific, spice maze Recovering: (within) Aceso’s Path (2020).
October 2020 Exhibition at Tucson Museum of Art as part of the Arizona Biennial 2020 and recipient of the Ernest Cabat Award for Quilt of the Americas 2020
March 2020 Community project commission by Tucson Refugee Ministries for The Places we go 2020
November 2019 Commission by Nations Within (The Navigators, USA) to provide a piece for nationwide use in printed materials. Woman of God 6 (2015) is now used as logo at nationwide conferences, seminars, programs etc.
2018
September 2019 Commission by Moreletapark Congregation (South Africa) to provide a piece for use in printed materials. The Persian Sun (2018) became part of a Therapy project that deals with Western Women and the realities of living in the Persian Gulf.
2017
April 2017 Group Exhibition – Mashahed held by Buraimi Fine Art Society at Buraimi Fine Art Gallery in Buraimi (Oman). Recipient of the Mashahed Award for Community (2017)
May 2017 Commission by Echo and Spark online Gallery (USA) for The Whipping Boy (2017)
January 2017 Commission by the author Louise Brits to illustrate a children’s book: Wolkie Woel sien homself.
January 2017 Participated in the Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize 2017. Artwork was featured in their social media platform
2016
Reached the shortlist in 2 categories of this Art Competition which is Dubai’s Contemporary art award open internationally for emerging visual artists.
2015 – 2016
Teacher at Tawam International School, Oman
Duties included doing art therapy with students who face challenges to concentrate, study and have behavior abnormalities.
2010 – 2015
December 2015 Group Exhibition – Unisa Art Gallery in Pretoria (South Africa)
March 2014 Group Exhibition – Faith held at Cristal Hotel in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
June 2013 Group Exhibition – Creation held at Rihan Heights in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
2008 – 2010
Senior Lecturer at House of Arts (Hodeidah Branch), Yemen
Duties included:
- Organizing and Facilitating workshops for visual artists
- Analysis of teaching methodology of Yemeni teachers at House of Arts
- Course and Syllabus design at House of Arts
- Promoting Gulf Artists in the South Africa
- Curating and exhibiting Artworks on behalf of Gulf artists in South Africa
2007 – 2008
Lecturer, at The British Institute for languages, science and art, Hodeidah, Yemen
2001 – 2007
Teacher, Mentor and Moderator for International Community Services, Yemen.
1998 – 2001
Travelled around the Middle East and taught English at various
institutes as a substitute teacher. She also conducted Cultural studies and Artistic research during this time.
1996 – 1997
Chief marketing and Public Relations Officer at Franken PTY (LTD) Art and Pottery supply and school
Duties included:
- Organizing and presenting workshops for schools
- Teaching art techniques and pottery
- Sales consultant explaining art and pottery techniques
- Educating mothers how to use art as therapy for young children
- Glazing and firing pottery
Additional
Interests and Activities
Visual Art (Using art as tool for education of younger children)
Teaching art techniques as a form of brain development
Reading and research on subjects of culture, racial diversity and contemporary discourses
Cultural exchange forums
Languages
English (Fluent – Native)
Afrikaans (Fluent)
Arabic (Functionally fluent)
Dutch (Functionally fluent) German (Intermediate fluency)