Jean Theron Louw BArch, University of the Free State, South Africa. As a schoolgirl, her artistic talent had already been recognised, when she won the Sanlam Africa Art Award in 1983. Theron’s energy, intelligence, inherent talent and drive is evident in the number of exhibitions in which she has participated, especially in the Western Cape, where she resides.
As a rising artistic star, Jean Theron Louw was awarded the 2020 kykNET Fiesta Awards together with the award for the kykNET Best Presentation in Visual Art prize, for her remarkable MY AFRICAN WILD DOGS sculpture. The sculpture references overpopulation, ecology, sexual abuse, xenophobia and the universality of humanity’s exploitation of our planet.
Previously in 2019, she won the US Woordfees Trophy for Visual Arts: Best Presentation – for the same sculpture This piece was also shown at the Montagu Book Festival where Louw was chosen as the festival artist.
In 2022, she created a life-size bronze sculpture The View which was initially installed in Hermanus, Western Cape, forming part of the Fynarts Sculptures on the Cliff Path Exhibition. The sculpture addresses the burning issue of Global Warming and tries to awaken awareness of humanity’s inter-connectivity with the planet. Incorporated into the sculpture are touches of humour, pathos, provocation and empathy. Prints from conceptual drawings for this sculptural design accompany the making of The View.
Ass’íng Around, installed in Hermanus, celebrating the 2024 Fynarts Festival, replaced the previous sculpture. The donkey’s presence reflects a contrast between man’s view of donkey as friend with the ongoing mass slaughter of donkeys, in the belief that the donkey’s hide projects powerful medicinal qualities.
My Fynbos 2023 depicts a life-jacket clad baboon clinging to a Protea flower referencing the reduced territorial freedom the animal enjoys, as human occupation increases.
Whilst preparing for the construction of a sculpture, Louw prepares drawings to assist in her conceptual thinking. Louw’s drawings and sculptures are precisely and meticulously conceived, reflecting her passion towards ‘awareness of the connectivity of man to the planet’.
Her fastidious attention to detail, her imaginative interpretation and the precise execution through technical skill allows for the creation of unique imagery and objects of great beauty. Linear clarity, a lively sense of humour and contemporary expression are innate thus demanding her audience’s immediate attention. Her work is thought provoking and aesthetically pleasing.
As climatic conditions alter the status quo of life on earth, Louw’s creative output becomes more relevant and her artistic stature more important.
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