GRADY T ZEEMAN

ARTIST BIO

Grady T Zeeman (b South Africa) is a contemporary painter who graduated from Cape Technicon as a Fashion Designer in 1988. After graduation, she worked as a designer in Cape Town, before marriage and moving back to her hometown. As painting was her first love, she decided to give it more attention. With the assistance of 2 of her friends, she painted the roof of a local restaurant with an African theme, where they were allowed a small exhibition space as well. She earnestly developed her technical skills and broadened her knowledge of Art History. In 2008, she had her first international group exhibition in India, and in October 2020 her first solo exhibition in Rome, Italy. She has taken part in various exhibitions in the USA, UK, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Zeeman has also taken part in the Florence Biennale 2011, Siel de Paris 2012, London Biennale 2019, and Amsterdam Art Fair 2019. Her work has been published in NY Arts Magazine, South African Art Times, and Arttour International Magazine (mentioned as a Top Artist to Watch in 2018) as well as numerous other books and magazines. She has been a finalist in a couple of art competitions as well as a Finalist in the Global Art Awards in Dubai 2017. She has also received several international art prizes and received the African Excellence Award for Contemporary Artist of the Year, in 2022. From 2011 to 2017 Zeeman had her own gallery in her hometown in South Africa, where she not only exhibited her own work but represented other South African artists as well. She is currently represented by Agora Gallery; Galerie Bruno Massa; Artio Gallery; Maison Contemporain; Art Screen TV; Cavendish Contemporary Gallery.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Luminosity is described as the relative quantity of light, which is how I experience the Divine, my God, my Creator. Though I am a devout Anglican, I have been fascinated by all religions, and through reading extensively have found a pearl of universal wisdom. Since ancient times, people have worshipped the sun or light. The Incas built a sun temple at Machu Picchu for their god Inti, the Japanese worshipping Amaterasu, and the Egyptians Ra. It is believed that the pyramids of Giza were aligned with the autumn equinox, and so too many more ancient places of worship. Churches, cathedrals, mosques, synagogues, and temples are all designed for light to enter in order to create an emotional and spiritual atmosphere. I love traveling, and when I do, it is customary for me to visit places of worship. I would allow myself to sit and experience the spirituality and bathe in the light, often overwhelmed and deeply emotional, feeling my soul expanding by the play of light and energy, always feeling the presence of God. If it’s a church or Cathedral, I would light a candle in remembrance of my parents. My passion for history, architecture, and spiritualism has led me to create this series on buildings that I've visited, focusing less on the perfection and awe of the buildings, but more on the emotion I experienced. My preferred medium is oil, though I start with a thin layer of acrylic. The color palette is mostly connected to spiritual energy. As I have found great significance in the symbolism of the square in all religions, these paintings are created as “relics”, capturing the high frequency of the Divine.


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