Pieter van der Westhuizen

4 December 2003 - 7 January 2004

Pieter van der Westhuizen was born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1931. He studied art at the University of South Africa with Sakkie Eloff, Leo Theron, Robert Hodgins and others. In 1960 he worked under Alfred Krentz and in 1971 under Erik Laubscher. From 1979 to 1980 he attended the Nationale Hoger Institute voor Schone Kunst at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium. In 1982 and 1985 he continued his studies at the Stedelijke Akademie in Ghent and the Ryks Centrum voor Grafiek in Kasterlee, Belgium. In 1983 and 1985 he also studied woodblock printing in Japan. His work comprises landscapes, portraits, still lifes, figures and abstract works. He works in pastel, oil, watercolour, ink, pencil, charcoal and in various graphic media.

Pieter has had many one-man and group exhibitions and in 1988 and 1989 he exhibited with Marc Chagall amongst others, in Madrid, Spain. His exhibitions held on the occasion of his 65^th birthday were the largest and most successful ever held in South Africa. He is widely regarded as the most popular artist in South Africa today. He exhibited with great success in London in June and October 2000. Pieter is now firmly established as an international artist of great repute and since March 2003 is represented in the Far East by Schoeni Art Gallery Limited.

Pieter's landscapes of endless wheat fields are powerful and daring, very Zen like, using bright hues of the primary colours, red, blue and yellow. His portraits of mostly women with large hats and young strong male subjects have an unusual structure and composition.

Pieter's works are today found in private and national collections in South Africa, Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, China, Japan, Finland, Israel and Hong Kong.

Schoeni Art Gallery is proud to have succeeded in mounting Pieter's first exhibition in Asia. Life is full of coincidences and connections; this exhibition is an example of how different people from different continents can come together through the magic of art.

An illustrated catalogue is available.

Two Ladies Pastel on Paper, 67 x 52 cm, 2003	Couple Pastel on Paper, 51 x 41 cm, 2002
Shaded Pastel on Paper, 79 x 56 cm, 2003	Mother and Child Pastel on Paper, 51 x 41 cm, 2002
Rainbow Fields Pastel on Paper, 56 x 79 cm, 2003	Kite Flyers Pastel on Paper, 56 x 79 cm, 2003
Landscape with Sheep Pastel on Paper, 57 x 78 cm, 2002	Jerusalem Scenes Ink & Wash, 79 x 56 cm, 2003

For further inquiries, please feel free to contact:

Ms Selina Liu
Tel: (852) 2869-8802
Fax: (852) 2522-1528
Email: gallery@schoeni.com.hk
www.schoeni.com.hk

Exhibition Venue:

G/F, 21 - 31 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong
10:30am - 6:30pm Monday - Saturday.
Closed on Sundays and public holidays.