Andrea du Plessis
Andrea du Plessis, a Cape Town-based artist born in 1980, uses her art to explore nature as a source of sublime experience and healing.
Influenced by 18th-century Romanticism, she emphasises the interconnectivity of species through hybrid organic forms and psychedelia. Her work draws from alchemical illustrations and horse symbolism, delving into themes of inner alchemy, esotericism, and Jungian psychology within surreal contexts.
Trained in Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria, du Plessis holds additional qualifications in Art Therapy and Multimedia Digital Visual Arts (Cum Laude) from the University of South Africa (UNISA). As the 2021 Sasol New Signatures award winner, she has exhibited her work both locally and internationally.
Du Plessis blends traditional oil painting techniques with modern technologies like augmented and virtual reality, creating immersive experiences that transport viewers to familiar yet alien worlds. These experiences encourage reflection on the viewer's connection with nature, offering a journey through detailed landscapes and organic hybridity.