Annette Du Plessis

A South African Exhibition from Nelson Mandela Bay - was hosted in Sweden in Goteborg - under the theme "City to City - Space to space" in 2000.

Annette's artwork was selected as the winning piece - and she subsequently won an artist residency scholarship at the Konst Epedimin in Goteborg - the following year

King George Art Gallery (now Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum), South Africa, 1994 - 1995
‘People, Places & Perspectives', wearable artwork selected to go on national tour major South African galleries

Dakawa, Grahamstown, South Africa,1998, Selected as one of 17 Eastern Cape Artists to exhibit at a historical exhibition

Eastern Cape Department of Arts and Culture, South Africa, 1998, Certificate of Excellency

FNB Vita Awards, South Africa, 1998, Merit Award for creative fiber arts vest

resume | statement

Name:   Annette du Plessis

 
Education                 
PE technikon, South Africa, 1986
Foundation Study in Fine Arts, first year, did not complete degree
 
Awards & Achiements  
King George Art Gallery, South Africa, 1994 - 1995
'people,places & perspectives'
work selected to go  on national tour mayor South African Government galleries
 
Pendula Women's Art Exhibition, 1995
Organised a woman's art exhibition for Port Elizabeth City
 
Dakawa, Grahamstown, South Africa,1998
Selected as one of 17 Eastern Cape Artists to exhibit at a historical exhibition
 
Eastern Cape Department of Arts and Culture, South Africa, 1998
Certificate of Excellency
 
FNB Vita Awards, South Africa, 1998
Merit Award
 
Konst Epidemic Artist Residency, Sweden, 2001
Won residency award during 2001 after Annette's artwork was selected as a winner in the City to City - Face to Face Exhibition, Goteborg, Sweden - under the banner of the partnership between Port Elizabeth City and Goteborg City 
 
Siyaya Centre for Young Arts, South Africa, 2001-current
Founded and running a community art centre in an African township, New Brighton, Nelson Mandela Bay.
URL users/visitingthisplanet/main.html 
 
Arts and Culture Community Participation
Imvaba Arts and culture Anti-apartheid organisation, South Africa, 1998-1991
Activist participating with other artist activists against apartheid, doing collective murals (at Mayibuye museum, Cape Town), logo's, posters, banners, etc. 
 
Port Elizabeth Action Committee, South Africa, 1989-1990
'Give Conscripts a choice' Creative banner - embroidered and collaged - against forced apartheid conscription for all white male South African Citizens
 
Ex Detainees Committee, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 1990
Creative art banner, collaged and embroidered - welcoming the Release of the ?Rivonia? prisoners from Robben Island (before the release of Nelson Mandela)
 
Port Elizabeth Woman's Organisation, 1989
Creative Banner against apartheid
 
PEPCO, 1989
Creative banner against apartheid
 
NIR - Koinonia, 1990
Creative banner against apartheid
 
Women's Decade, 1989
Creative banner against apartheid
 
SANSCO, 1989
Creative banner against apartheid
 
Uitenhage Civic Organisation, 1990
Creative banner against apartheid
 
NADEL, 1990
Creative banner against apartheid
 
COSAS, 1989/1990
Creative banner against apartheid
 
ANC, 1991-1996
Creative banner for first welcoming rally for Nelson Mandela
Several creative banners for various ANC branches within Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage
 
SACP, 1991
Creative banner
 
IDASA, 1990
Creative banner for 'One City, one municipality'
 
ANC Women's League, 1991
Creative banner
 
NESG, 1990/1991
Logo for welcoming t-shirts for the returning exiles
 
National Health Department, 1995
'Aids the new struggle' With 4 other artists, painted a mural on Brister House, Nelson Mandela Bay.
CAMA/countries/southafr/projects/Mural/files/socom/bi5955r.htm
 
Port Elizabeth Tourism, 1989
'Pambile ne African Renaisance, Pambile' Commissioned with 2 other artists to do a mural on the historical Grand Hotel in Nelson Mandela Bay
wild_coast.htm (African painted murals...)
issue0411/safrica_07.html
 
 
Arts and Culture Organisational Commitments
ANC Cultural Desk - Western Districts, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 1996
Head cultural Desk
 
Port Elizabeth Civic Society Forum, 1996
Representative City's visual artists
 
Port Elizabeth Arts and Culture Council, 1997
Chairperson Visual arts sector
 
Exhibitions
Local: Nelson Mandela Bay
Highbury Art Gallery ~ 1993-1994
Wezandla ~ 1994-1995
King George Art Gallery ~ 1994-1998
People, Places, Perspectives
GAP
EPSAFC Imvaba Exhibition ~ 1993
Ichthyology Department
Dakawa ~ 1004, 1997, 1998
People, Places, Perspectives ~ 1994
Eastern Cape Department Arts and Culture selected artworks ~ 1997
Selected Eastern Cape artists - 'land history and self' ~ 1998
Pendula Women?s Art Exhibition ~ 1995
Human Rights Exhibition
UPE & Dower College ~ 1997-1998
Eastern Cape Department of Arts and
Culture
Selection Exhibition (Wezandla, Green Acres, King George) ~ 1997-1998
The Rebirth of Art
Centenary, UPE ~ 1997-1998
Women?s Art Exhibition
King Edward Hotel ~ 1999
Partnership Port Elizabeth & G?teborg
Face to Face Exhibition ~ 2000 in G?teborg
Dammetjies Business Consultants
Local artist exhibition ~ 2005
Provincial: Eastern Cape, South Africa
Imvaba Exhibition
Ichthyology Department ~ 1993
Dakawa
People, Places, Perspectives ~ 1994
Dep. Arts & Culture (Selected works) ~ 1997
Land, History & Self (selected Artists) ~ 1998
 
National: South Africa
People, Places, Perspectives
Traveling to mayor Art Galleries in South Africa ~ 1994-1995
 
International:
Vancouver, Canada
1 work showing with Mariette Smith, Art Teacher at Le Broc, Vancouver ~ 1998
Goteborg, Sweden
City to City - Face to Face ~ 2000

Siyaya Centre For Young Arts:
Founded in 2001
Ran art project International twinning partnership - Goteborg and Port Elizabeth - 2002 to 2005
Several children's Art Exhibitions curated from the project
- South End Museum in 2003 and opened by Wally Serote
- Zwide Library in 2004
- Red Location Museum from 2006 to 2008

SANAVA (visual artists south Africa):
Exhibition in India and Pretoria Art Museum - 2010

Epsac (Eastern Province Society of Fine Arts - now ART-EC)
Exhibition with Dorelle & Mara Sapere and Pine Pienaar Photography Students) - 2010

NMMU (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University)
Re-Sponse exhibition (ex university students and other)
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum - 2010
- Kimberley Art Museum - 2011


MBDA (Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency)
- One of ten winners after art works were submitted for judging by David Goldblatt and Helen Sebedi
- the work, "private pain" forms part of the new Red Location Art Gallery's collection - 2011






COLLECTIONS
South Africa:
- Nelson Mandela Bay, Humansdorp, Grahamstown, Cape Town, Johannesburg
International:
- USA - New York, Hartford, Beverly Hills
- Canada - Vancouver
- Europe - Germany, Faroe Islands, England, Sweden, France, Netherlands 
- Australia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

FNB Vita Crafts merit award for embroided waistcoat, 1989

Department of Arts and Culture, Eastern Cape - Certificate of Excellency, 1999

Name Annette Suzette;
Surname Du Plessis;
Birth date 11 October 1955;
Citizenship South African;

Languages -English, Afrikaans, Xhosa;

Skills Arts and Crafts -,Painting, Drawing, Collage, Sculpture, Ceramics, Paper Mache, Jewellery making, Textile design, Textile printing, Embroidery, Beadwork, Tapestry, Lino printing, etc;

People orientated skills - Counselling and & ministering to children

International Project - Partnership NMMM & Göteborg

Volunteered at Masikulisane – Soweto by the sea, HIV orphans and neglected/abused children arts facilitation and councelling


Achievements -
Anti apartheid activist - moved into townships beginning 1989- active in civic structures and women’s organisations 1989 to 1994

Political - Head ANC Cultural Desk Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas, 1996 to 1997; SACP – treasurer Eastern Cape province 1993/4

Artist - National tour of work to major galleries in South Africa, Diploma of Excellency from Department of Arts and Culture; winner “City to City’ scholarship to Kunstepedimin artist residency 2001 (Göteborg, Sweden)

Founder - Founded Siyaya Centre for Young Arts in NMMM on return from Sweden, 2001. From end 2002 to 2005 was invited to be consultant for children’s art for the NMMM & Göteborg partnership and employed professional artists developed, coordinated and managed children’s art projects at Metro Libraries, Arthur Nyobo school, New Brighton Community and Masikulisane HIV orphans. SIDA report point4.1.1swedish_partship/evaluation.htm;

Professional Artist:
1989 - 2005 Imvaba 1989 – 1994 Community Artist – doing banners, t shirt logo’s, posters, facilitating workshops with children

King George Art Gallery – facilitator for Gerald Sekoto Day of the Child workshops, several years

Siyaya Centre for Young Arts – Founder and Director from 2001, employed professional artists on part-time basis to run workshops with school pupils, community kids

Partnership Nelson Mandela Municipality Metropole and Göteborg City – acted as consultant, project developer, organiser and manager (arts and culture sector)

HIVAN Kwa Zulu Natal – been working with HIVAN (Jill Kruger) to form part of HIVAN’ job creation team (art therapy children) for two years.


Current additional activity
Research and Development- Land Art
Researching and organising Land Art project for the Metro that would be phased over some years and in coordination with local scientists, various structures, artists, community and learners.

Since January 2006 employed as Marketing Officer for Red Location Museum

Creative thinking has been a natural aspect of my life since earliest recollection. I remember vividly as a 5 year old how I used to build installations on the banks of the river, where my extended family had a farm.

I had so many questions about life already and was specifically intrigued by the universe, animals, plants, and the difference between the various types of people on the farm (it was during apartheid years and racism was rife).

Sadly - my dad had a problem with unpredictable anger outbursts and I feared him tremendously.

I think I became quite "developed" creatively because art in a way was a means to escape and live in another world - where I needed no additional friends - and no additional love.

At the age of 17 after I nearly died in a serious accident - I came under the awesome and loving power of God. General apects about my life began to fall into place and I realised that my suffering and abuse evaporated totally and completely in the presence of God.

I am however far from living a real godly life - yet I know that the creative energies within me - are not of my own - but run through me because of God's choice into and through my life - and I am so grateful for this blessing - I am learning about deeper meanings of existance - as I go along expressing deep yearnings and thoughts that spontaneously well up inside...

I do my art without any prior planning - for me it is essential that I empty myself of myself - and allow my senses to pick up and spill out sounds and patterns and movements from the unseen world. I "hear music" as I do art and I feel " creative movements through my mind" like dancing patterns. This happens away and at the canvas.

My desire is that viewers should interact with "my" artwork and that they find solace - that they be provoked to become better people - filled with love and compassion for others.

Partnership NMMM & Göteborg City - scholarship award artist-in-residence Konst Epidemic, SE, 2001

1. Do the design on paper

2. Gather as many magazines - especially magazines with interesting tectural content like "House and Leasure", "Architectural Digest", etc.

3. Tear interesting peices from these magazines

4. Begin pasting paper pieces and even fabric, netting etc into the design

5 Blend with paints, inks, pens and pencils and even embroidery

6 It is important to constantly stand back from the works and corrolate the feelings inside with what is manifolding on the design - evaluate meanings - search for deeper thoughts and rythm that wells up inside

7 The collage is build up in layers over layers and some parts scratched through with sharp implement - tissue paper is also used to blend areas

8 Neatness is important and the work is only completed when every little particle is scrutinised over and over - constantly learn from what the image is saying

(By Karen van Rooyen)

ANNETTE du Plessis was named “Vuyiswa”, Xhosa for happiness, by her new friends when she first moved to the Port Elizabeth township of New Brighton.

Today, nearly 17 years later, she is still happy to live there even though few, if any, other whites have followed her example.

Du Plessis, a multi-skilled artist whose work includes sculpture and collages, moved to the township after spending a weekend there in 1989.

Now she is looking forward to the official opening of the Red Location Cultural Museum in September. She said: “It’s so amazing that the spot where the museum has been built is where I made the decision to move to New Brighton.

“When I went into that museum two months ago, I was overcome with emotion because I saw that doors were opening for other developments in New Brighton and South Africa.”

Du Plessis, 50, had been visiting the township on an exchange programme arranged by an organisation called Koinonia and the National Initiative for Reconciliation during 1989 which saw different racial groups switching homes for a weekend.

The following week she decided to move there permanently.“I was shocked that I’d been so apathetic,” she said.

But Du Plessis’ apathy soon turned into passion for her community, a place she describes as “farm life congested into the city”.

Between fighting for basic municipal services to be restored in the area and raising her 13-year old son, Khaya Mfo, Du Plessis also runs the Siyaya Centre for Young Arts, which she founded at the local Arthur Nyobo Primary School.

She met Khaya’s father while the two were activists in the community and while no longer in a relationship, they are still friends. Du Plessis, who also has two grown sons, Yucca, 22, and Keran, 21, says she had to put up with accusations by people that she had turned her back on whites.

However, the change she has seen in her chosen surroundings has made any negative reactions worthwhile.

“It’s wonderful to see the tarred road. Before, the roads here were full of stones, and shoes did not last. It’s awesome . . . wonderful how this area’s been developed. There are playgrounds and I’m so proud.”

Du Plessis has learned Xhosa and although she doesn’t speak it much, she understands it – and loves being in a place where “nobody’s ever been rude to me”.

“The people here are very spontaneous, they have no inhibitions and for me as an artist, that’s amazing,” she said.

Her young pupils at the Siyaya centre are working on a paper maché cow – “because cows are so popular”. The cow will form part of an exhibition for the museum’s opening celebrations scheduled for mid-September.

Du Plessis regularly brings in Swedish artists to conduct workshops with the children following a one-month stint in Gothenburg three years ago.

Her years in New Brighton have allowed her to voice her opinions on every topic under the sun and while she once encouraged other white people to go into the townships, she has nothing against those who stay away.

“If a person can afford to live next to the beach, let them.

“I often have people here who say: ‘Why did our comrades move out’, and I say if they can afford to, then let them. They don’t have to remain in areas where they were once oppressed.”

Du Plessis, who was born in Cape Town, comes from a family of artists and thanks to her eccentric yet “extremely conservative” father, moved around and lived in Namibia before moving to Pretoria.

It was while hitch-hiking around the country that she ended up in Port Elizabeth – and she hasn’t looked back. “I just loved it here.”

main/2005/06/11/news/nl05_11062005.htm