About
Diek Grobler
Born in Bela Bela, South Africa
Lives & works in Pretoria, south Africa
Diek Grobler obtained a MA in Fine Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1996. He has exhibited professionally since 1988 and his work is included in several public and corporate collections in South Africa.
Grobler’s art practice covers a variety of media and disciplines. He has presented more than 15 solo-exhibitions and has participated extensively in group exhibitions, on national and international level, a.o. the International Olympic Committee art exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland(2004), as part of the South African Delegation to the Delphic Games, Kutching, Malaysia in 2005, Group Exhibitions with the Korean Society of Illustrators in Prague and Peking(2002), and the 13th Annual Open Exhibition of the Royal Over-Seas League: Over-Seas House, London and Royal College of Art, Edinburgh(1996). He has collaborated with Nine Dragonheads environmental art group in Cheong Ju City - South Korea(2004), Biel/Bienne - Switzerland (2011) and at the Venice Biennale (2015).
He has curated public art projects, most notably the Metrorail art gallery which entailed a creating a collection of murals in public railway stations. The project provided employment to more than fifty artists, and received two Business and Arts South Africa awards in 2000. In 2014 he curated ‘Filmverse’ – a collection of Animated films of Afrikaans poetry: This project provided employment to 12 artists and helped establish a platform for independent auteur animators in South Africa.
His animated films, for which he has received 4 international awards, has been included in the official programmes of more than 40 international animation festivals.
CV
Education
1987 - BA Fine Arts, University of Pretoria, South Africa
1996 - MAFA, University of the Witwatersrand.
Awards
2009 Agenda (animated film) SAFTA Award for best animation in a short film
Little Birds ABC –Best Animated film for Children, Tehran International Animation Festival, Tindirindis Animation festival in Lithuania, KROKanimation Festival, Ukraine
2007 Little Bang (animated film) nominated for a SA Film and Television Awards for Best Short Film. The film wins amerit award fornew media, Ekuruleni fine art awards.
2005 Gold medal for painting: International Delphic Games, Kutching, Malaysia
2003 Winner, Graphic arts section, of the South African leg of the International Olympic committee art Competition
1999 De Kat Herrie- Award ,Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn
1995 Merit Award in Volkskas Atelier Competition
1993 Merit Award in Volkskas Atelier Competition
1988 Merit award for Sculpture, New Signatures Competition
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2014 Vyftig Jaar Later: An online exhibition, to mark his fiftieth year, of works produced daily throughout the course of 2014- https://www.facebook.com/vyftigjaarlater?ref=bookmarks
2012 Festival Artist, Inniebos Nasionale Kunstefees, Nelspruit.
2010 Breytenbach Centre, Wellington.
2008 Story: Gordart, Johannesburg
Fried Contemporary, Pretoria
2007 Pretoria Arts Association
2006 Pretoria Arts Association
2005 Gordart. Mellville, Johannesburg
Cite des arts international, Paris
2004 The Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria
2003 The Art Space, Johannesburg
2001 Chelsea gallery, Wynberg, Cape Town
1999 Gencor Gallery, Rand Afrikaans University
Millenium Gallery, Pretoria
1998 Two-person show at the Johannes Stegman Gallery, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein
Two-person show at the Dorp Street Gallery, Stellenbosch
1997 The Thompson Gallery, Johannesburg
Two-person show at James Colman Fine Art, London
Arts Association Pretoria
1995 Two-person show at Dorpstraat Gallery, Stellenbosch
1994 Gallery on Tyrone, Parkview, Johannesburg
1993 Gallery on Tyrone, Parkview, Johannesburg
1992 Two-person show at Gallery 709, Cape Town
1990 Two-person show at SAAA Gallery , Pretoria
1989 Two two-person shows in February and December, at The Gallery on the Market, Newtown, Johannesburg
1988 First professional Exhibition: Two-Person show at Aleta Michaletos Gallery, Pretoria
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Selected Group Exhibitions
2012 Fopspeen; Moving Pictures. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Oudtshoorn.The exhibition receives a Kanna Nomination for Best Fine Art Exhibition.
Pointure: University of Johannesburg Art Centre.
2011 Speel-speel: Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria
2010 Tina Skuka Gallery, Pretoria.
2009 Pretoria Artists at the Oliewenhuys Museum, Bloemfontein
Allooi, Volksblad Kunstefees, Bloemfontein
2008 Agenda, Bell-Roberts Gallery, Cape Town
2007 Snert: Tina Skukan Gallery, Petoria
Agenda, Platform on 18th, Pretoria
Absa Exhibition of Atelier merit winners, KKNK
2006 Little Bang, Platform on 18th, Pretoria
2005 Part of the South African Delegation to the Delphic Games, Kutching, Malaysia
2004 Nine Dragonheads environmental art symposium, Cheong Ju City, South Korea
Gallery 88, Sasolburg
International Olympic Comitee art exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland
2003 Hope Box/ Weather Report international art project run by Dutch artist Rienke Enghart
In the Minds i Rand Africa University gallery, Johannesburg
Om die Bosch gelei Minds i art space, Pretoria
Fine Line drawing exhibition, Minds i art space, Pretoria
Edition printmaking exhibition, Minds i art space, Pretoria
2002 Group Exhibitions with the Korean Society of Illustrators in Prague and Peking
Solar Eclipse Exhibition at Mind’s I art space in collaboration with the Foundation for Education, Science and Technology
1998 Exhibition of South African Contemporary Art in the SASOL Collection: Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn
1996 World Environment Day exhibition: Pretoria Art Museum
A Little Show of Drawers, University of Pretoria Art Gallery
13 Annual Open Exhibition of the Royal Over-Seas League: Over-Seas House, London and Royal College of Art, Edinburgh
El Gezirah Sheraton Hotel, Cairo: SAAA International Project
1995 World Environment Day exhibition: Pretoria Art Museum
Annual Wits Masters in Fine Art exhibition, Gertrude Posel Gallery
1991 Love, Landscape, and Lonely escape: Gallery on the Market, Newtown
1991-1998 Volkskas Atelier Competition exhibition
1989 Vita Art Now: Johannesburg Art Gallery
1988-1989 Volkskas Atelier Competition exhibition
1988 CLAY + : Unisa Art Gallery
1985-1988
Annual New Signatures Competition exhibition: South African Association of Art, various locations.
Publications
2008/9 – Occasional freelance art criticism for Beeld newspaper
2010/11 – Script for “uit die Bloute” animated television series for kykNET.
2011 – Subject of a monograph “Diek Grobler : an artists monograph with interactive catalogue “ a masters thesis by Jorike Langerman – Unisa 2011.
2012 – Short story included in collection “Bloots” by Tafelberg Publishers.