Claire Gavronsky

Claire Gavronsky (b. 1957) works primarily in painting and sculpture. Drawing on historical imagery and everyday events, she explores memory, racism, violence against women and children, and economic injustice. Her layered, non-linear compositions collapse past and present. As Gavronsky writes, her work follows “a complex narrative that defies linearity… and refutes hierarchy” (Gavronsky 2006).

Claire Gavronsky (b. 1957) Claire Gavronsky works in a variety of mediums, most notably in painting and sculpture. Her work often uses visual references to historical paintings, and cues are sometimes taken from events from everyday life. Memory, racism, violence against women and children are some of the theme's which run through her oeuvre. Her work also bridges sometimes complex narratives through overlaid images, and stories which link the past to the present. Gavronsky addresses topics such as racism, memory, violence against woman and children and economic injustice in her artworks. Considering these themes, she bridges the past and present. Gavronsky enjoys the contradictory nature that is inherent in overlaid images. “The fact that there are clear lines, but that they cannot easily be read; lines, saying something, yet inaudible – too many people speaking at once – unless you trace a single outline before it slips into an interchange of place or limb. This is a complex narrative that defies linearity, although made of line and one that refutes hierarchy.” (Gavronsky 2006)   In 1981 Gavronsky received a Master of Fine Art in painting, and she moved to Italy in 1985 and has since lived between Cape Town and Tuscany.  In Florence, Gavronsky established, with fellow artist Rosemarie Shakinovsky, an international artist’s residency workshop in Tuscany. After the success of these workshops, they founded workshops in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Venda and Botswana. Gavronsky and Shakinovsky often collaborate under the name Rosenclaire. They also collaborate on occasion with William Kentridge. She has exhibited extensively in South Africa, Europe and the United States of America.  In early 2011, She collaborated with DKW, printmaker Jillian Ross. In keeping with her style of linear, overlaid images, she deals with evolution through the relationships between humans and animals as well as the choice of computers over traditional drawing and writing tools. 

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

/( mm / dd )

Intuit Mailchimp