Hey!
I’m
Gawie
Joubert,
a Berlin-based artist originally from sunny South Africa. I like to dive into the weird and wonderful connections between humans and nature, and how identity can be... well, fluid! After snagging a Graphic Design degree back in 2010 and spending a few years as an Art Director and Illustrator, I made the bold move in 2014 to focus on fine art.
I’ve had the chance to show my work at various exhibitions and art fairs (fancy, right?) and even had my first solo show, “Biophilia,” in 2016. I also spent 5 months in Hungary as part of The Budapest Art Factory Residency, where I explored new mediums. Fast forward a few years and I was living in Berlin around 2020. Cue Covid (uh oh).
So, with time to think, I decided to teach myself how to sculpt—because why not? Now, my sculptures reflect my personal experiences, with migraines (ugh). That’s me in a nutshell!
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Foliage to Flesh, Aardklop, Johannesburg
2020 Foliage to Flesh, Craft + Graft, Cape Town
2017 Növényember, Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town
2017 Human Nature, Budapest Art Factory, Budapest
2016 Biophilia, Curated by Megan Kidd, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
Residencies
2017 Budapest Art Factory, June - October, Budapest, Hungary
Art Fairs
2024 Berlin Affordable Art Market 7, Monopol, Berlin
2016 World Art Dubai, Red Room, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai
2016 That Art Fair, Red Room, The Palms, Cape Town
2015 Turbine Art Fair, In Toto Gallery, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 The Conversation, Kunstfabrik HB55, Berlin
2023 55X3, Kunstfabrik HB55, Berlin
2023 Vernissage, LiTE-HAUS Galerie + Projektraum, Berlin
2021 Pop-Up Art Exhibitions, The Ballery, Berlin
2021 Hot Mess, Napoleon Komplex , Berlin
2020 Hot Mess, Prince Charles, Berlin
2020 Vanishing Act, KKNK, Oudtshoorn.
2019 Selfie, Glen Carlou, Cape Town
2019 In-between flesh and bones, ψυγείο Project Space, Larnaka, Cyprus.
2018 Grand IV, Rust en Vrede, Cape Town
2018 Turbine Art Fair, Lizamore & Associates, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg
2018 Salon Group Show, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg
2018 Group Show, Eclectica Print Gallery, Cape Town
2018 Jan Celliers, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg
2017 20x20, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
2017 Jan Celliers, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg2017 SA Taxi Foundation Art Awards, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg
2016 SAADA, Red Room, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town
2016 That Art Fair, Red Room, The Palms, Cape Town
2016 30 x 30, Rust en Vrede, Cape Town
2016 Alteration, 99 Loop Gallery, Cape Town
2016 Group Show, Red Room, Cape Town
2015 Fresh Young Talent, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
2015 #Voices Against Xenophobia, Greenside Quarter, Johannesburg
2015 Games People Play, Clover Aardklop Festival, Potchefstroom
2015 Games People Play, Clover Aardklop Festival, Potchefstroom
2015 Young Collectors, Fried Contemporary, Pretoria
2015 Spring, The Art Room, Johannesburg
2014 Gold Rush, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
2014 Menagerie, In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
2014 Turbine Art Fair, In Toto Gallery, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg
2014 Colour in the Forest of Winter, The Art Room, Johannesburg
2014 Joburg Fringe, Aerial Empire, Johannesburg
2014 Thami Mnyele Fine Art Awards, Coen Scholtz Recreational Centre, Johannesburg
2014 Salon One, Upstairs@bamboo, Johannesburg
2014 The Benediction of Shade II - Joburg: City of Trees, David Krut, Johannesburg
longer bio
Gawie Joubert is a Berlin-based artist who creates intriguing works of art that explore the complex relationships between humans and nature, as well as the fluidity of identity. Born in South Africa in 1988 and graduated with a Graphic Design degree from North-West University in 2010. He then pursued a career as an Art Director, Illustrator, and Illustration lecturer, garnering recognition and accolades for his innovative and original work. In 2014, he decided to focus on his fine art practice.
Joubert has participated in many group exhibitions and international art fairs, showcasing his diverse and original works of art. He has also been a finalist for the SA Taxi Foundation Art Award (2017) and the Thami Mnyele Fine Art Award. His first solo exhibition, “Biophilia,” was held in 2016 at In Toto Gallery in Johannesburg, featuring his signature ink and charcoal drawings that blend human and plant forms.
Joubert’s artistic journey continued in 2017, when he joined The Budapest Art Factory International Artist and Curator Residency Program. He spent 5 months in Hungary, pushing the boundaries of his artistic expression and experimenting with new mediums and concepts. His drawings reflect his interest in the intricate connections between humans and nature, as well as the fluidity of identity. He approaches art-making as an experimental process, letting the medium guide him.
In 2020, Joubert faced a creative challenge due to the lockdown and decided to switch from drawing to figurative sculpting. He taught himself how to sculpt and started to use this medium to express his personal experiences with migraines and childhood memories.