Kerry Michau

I studied a Fine Art degree at Stellenbosch University, where my painting career began rooted in the quiet discipline of watercolour painting. Over time my work has expanded in scale and ambition and so to has my range of mediums now including oils and acrylics. Originally from KZN, I spent some time in London before returning to South African shores. My husband and I then lived in the Sabi Sands for 11 years. During this time I took inspiration from the bush, its natural beauty, storms, flora and fauna capturing nature as both intimate and expansive, reflecting a balance between sensitivity and strength. My pieces evolved into bold paintings inspired by untamed landscapes and wild places, this landscape providing the perfect inspiration. After moving to Ballito I now mostly create large seascapes, tropical botanicals and palm paintings still exploring the raw energy and the emotional resonance of wild uninhabited places. I have exhibited my aerial surf paintings in NYC and been privileged to have two of them chosen to be featured on billboards in the city. My palm paintings are steeped in nostlgia, less about literal landscapes and more aboutatmosphere, movement and memory inviting the viewer into spaces that feel ancient, shifting and alive.