David Krut Projects has locations in Johannesburg and New York, and is an alternative arts institution dedicated to encouraging an awareness of and careers in the arts and related literature and media, and to promoting contemporary culture in a dynamic, collaborative environment. In Johannesburg, we have exhibition project spaces and an adjacent bookstore located at 151 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood and a printing workshop at Arts on Main, the major arts hub adjacent to downtown Johannesburg.
David Krut Workshop (DKW), based at Arts on Main, produces fine art editions with William Kentridge, Diane Victor, Deborah Bell and a number of other South African and international artists.
David Krut’s art activities started in London in the early 1980’s when he published an edition by British artist Joe Tilson. He has since curated exhibitions of contemporary works on paper in various international locations. In 1992 he became active in South Africa, publishing the editions of William Kentridge.
In 2002 he established David Krut Print Workshop, a collaborative intaglio and monotype studio, in Johannesburg. In New York, print collaborations are undertaken with Director and Master Printer Phil Sanders of Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.
David Krut Publishing was established in 1997 when Krut produced the first major publication on William Kentridge in CD-ROM format. Since then he has published many art books, including a series of 15 TAXI Art Books, the first-ever series of monographs on contemporary South African artists.
David Krut
Founder and Owner
David Krut became involved in the arts in 1973 when he project-managed the opening of a gallery in the Bond Street arts precinct of London. This was one of the start-up projects in various fields with which he was involved in the 1970s.
His committed career in international arts commenced in 1981, when he collaborated with Master Printer Jack Shirreff of 107 Workshop in Wiltshire, UK, to publish a limited edition fine art etching with Joe Tilson, one of the Pop Artists who had studied at the Royal College of Art. David Hockney was the most famous of the British Pop artists and Krut became a private art dealer of Hockney’s work as well as the work of other American Pop artists during the 1980s.
Krut was born in Johannesburg and made regular visits to South Africa throughout the 1980s sharing his professional knowledge with aspiring local art practitioners. Krut met William Kentridge at an exhibition opening in May 1992. Kentridge was about to leave for an exhibition of his work in London and Krut suggested he visit Shirreff, with whom Krut had by then collaborated on editions by various artists since the publishing of the Joe Tilson edition. Kentridge’s visit to 107 Workshop enabled him to create numerous large format etchings and he continued to make visits to the workshop whenever he was in the UK.
In 2002 Krut established David Krut Workshop in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg to mentor artists in etching and printmaking as an adjunct to their activities in their studios. This collaborative arts resource of workshop, gallery, bookstore and arts education facility attracted galleries and art collectors to The Parkwood Art Strip. In 2010 David Krut Workshop relocated to become the pioneer arts facility at the Arts on Main precinct in the inner city. Arts on Main proved to be the Joburg epicentre for media and visitors to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
David Krut Projects has trained a skilled team of printers, creatives and arts collaborators working at The Blue House in Parkwood and at Arts On Main. It functions as a community facility to allow skills transfer and mentoring in
Amé Bell
Director
Amé Bell is the Director of David Krut Projects (DKP) in Parkwood which consists of a gallery, a bookstore, framing and other production-related activities. Aside from her management skills, Bell is an accomplished art curator and designer of art books.
Amé Bell began working at DKP in 2013. As the Director, she is responsible for all projects and operations regarding galleries and art fair exhibition programmes, local and international sales, initiating projects in the print workshop and the direction of all gallery and bookstore staff in administration, sales, communications, framing and venue projects. She operates across all locations and is based between the Projects Gallery at 142 Jan Smuts Avenue and the wonderful Blue House at 151 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood.
Amé works closely with the team of printers at the David Krut Workshop (DKW), which is located at Arts on Main, Maboneng Precinct, in the inner city of Johannesburg. She connects young artists to DKW, allowing them to gain collaborative editioning experience by working with the team of printers. The media promotion and selling of the art created at DKW is a major responsibility of Bell and her Parkwood team. Ame still works closely with Master Printer Jillian Ross, who formerly directed DKW.
Amé has made visits to the New York associate David Krut Fine Art, Inc., which has an art project space in the Chelsea Art District alongside the famous Highline. She provides ongoing support to their exhibition program, and the promotion of artists from Africa abroad. In addition, Amé was appointed as the curator for the 2022 South African Pavilion at La Biennale Arte in Venice.
What I love most about what we do is working directly with artists, learning about them and their creative processes and maintaining a relationship in order to support their long-term careers as artists. Also, without a doubt, working alongside a team of inspiring individuals from whom there is so much to be learnt, and supporting careers in the arts in even the smallest way, has been an unbelievable privilege.
Amé Bell was born in Johannesburg in 1988 and completed a Master’s Degree in Art History at the North-West University in Potchefstroom in 2012. Bell further holds diplomas in Graphic Design and Project Management, and obtained her PhD in Art History from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Nomazitah Ngwenya
Gallery Admin and Archive Team
Lisa Crozier
Project Manager
Marque van der Walt
Marketing Manager
Innocentia Mthunzi
Books and Accounts Administrator
Alison Kane
Books and Website Manager
Masha Marchenko
Gallery Assistant
McKenna Meskan
Gallery Assistant
