My work explores the quiet relationship between place, memory and attention. Working primarily in acrylic, ink, pen and mixed media on canvas, I create paintings that emerge from careful observation of landscapes, birds and natural rhythms encountered both at home in South Africa’s Stormberg's and through my travels across the world.

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From the mountains of Nepal and the deserts of Morocco, to the coastlines of the United Kingdom, the vast landscapes of the United States and the layered cultures of Asia, each place leaves behind a visual and emotional imprint that finds its way into my studio practice.

Rather than documenting nature as it appears, my paintings seek to record the experience of paying attention to it. Layers of mark-making, texture and colour become a visual record of time spent observing, allowing familiar subjects to reveal unexpected beauty.

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Each original work is created by hand in my studio and forms part of an ongoing exploration into observation, belonging and our relationship with the natural world. Whether depicting a leopard in contemplation, a shifting landscape or traces of memory held within a place, every piece invites the viewer to pause and look a little longer.

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Because beauty begins with paying attention. 

Alongside my studio practice, I develop exhibitions, residencies, commissions and collaborative projects that explore how we experience place, memory and attention through art.

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My work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions internationally, including exhibitions in China, the United States, Europe and across the United Kingdom, as well as a residency in Torre Canavese, Italy. I have undertaken commissioned projects and community-based initiatives in the United Kingdom, including London, where I worked with groups to create opportunities for creative engagement and shared making.

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These experiences continue to inform a practice that moves between studio work and public engagement, whether through exhibitions, collaborative projects, artist talks or workshops. Each project is approached as an extension of my broader artistic inquiry into observation, presence and the act of looking more closely.

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At the heart of this work is a commitment to creating meaningful encounters with art, whether in a gallery space, a community setting, or through the experience of a single artwork.

I am Sonelle de Klerk, a South African visual artist whose practice is rooted in observation, memory and the quiet beauty of the natural world.

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After studying Fine Art and spending more than two decades working internationally in the arts, education, marketing, design and events, I returned to South Africa to establish VanniKloof Studio at Leliekloof, a working, holiday farm and creative space in the Stormberg region of the Eastern Cape.

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My artistic journey has not followed a straight path. There were years when life required me to step away from painting, but returning to art has become a return to myself. Today my work reflects a more intentional way of seeing, finding meaning in nature, landscapes, weathered surfaces and the overlooked moments that often pass unnoticed.

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I don't paint because the world is always beautiful. I paint because beauty is worth paying attention to.

A selection of media features, interviews, publications and exhibition coverage highlighting my artistic practice and creative projects.

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This page includes television appearances, exhibition features, articles, artist interviews and other media that explore my work, my connection to place and the ongoing development of VanniKloof Studio.

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For press enquiries, interviews or media requests, please get in touch using the contact details below.

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Email: sdk.fineart@gmail.com