BIO
About
Anja’s journey as an artist commenced in 2008 when she purchased her first canvas and started painting in acrylics. With no formal training in art, the first couple of paintings were a steep learning curve and painting retained hobby-status next to her day-job. However, she sold her first works in 2010 and has been painting full time since 2015 switching to oil as a medium in 2013.
Anja is now one of the most prominent contemporary Namibian Landscape Artists. Her two solo exhibitions in Swakopmund at the end of 2015 and 2017 were a great success. The Air Namibia Inflight Magazine, Flamingo, featured an article on her work in 2017. In 2021 her work was featured in the Michelangelo Magazine and she provided six paintings for the Namib Mills Corporate Calendar.
Taking inspiration from the beauty and expansiveness of Namibia’s landscape and nature, Anja’s work strives to capture its essence by combining minimalist compositions with detailed realism.
Please view my Portfolio and Exhibition Pages for recent works.
Details
1978 Born in South Africa.
1997 After completing school in Germany, returns to South Africa for studies in Political Science. Plays with pastels and ink- sells a couple of pieces in Namibia.
2001 Graduates and starts a 'real job' as a consultant.
2008 Purchases acrylics and first canvas.
2009 Completes her first piece- 'Ibis' in a 6 month, steep learning curve, on-and-off painting process in between her job and being a new mother.
2010 Sells her first painting- 'Winter Storm'.
2011 Commissioned for 6 paintings by prominent investment company in Pretoria.
2011 Paintings sold through the Fine Art Gallery in Swakopmund, Namibia.
2013 Switches to oils and falls in love with the medium.
2014 Moves to Namibia and paints full-time.
2015 Has first solo exhibition, "Solitude" in Swakopmund at the Fine Art Gallery, December 2015. All paintings from the exhibition were sold.
2017 Features in the May edition of the Air Namibia inflight magazine, the "Flamingo" (see page "In the press").
2017 Holds a solo exhibition, "Contemplations: Land and Sea" in Swakopmund at the "Muschel", December 2017.
2015- 2018 Participated in the Omaruru Artists Trail (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018).
2018 Works on commissions for a growing local and international client base.
2021 Is commissioned for the 2022 corporate calendar for a Namib Mills..