About MJ Lourens

MJ Lourens was born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1973.

He studied Fine Art Sculpture at the University of Pretoria from 1992 to 1996.

His body of work includes paintings, sculptures and film, having exhibited in several prominent galleries around South Africa.

MJ has also directed and produced films such as DIE RIT/THE DRIVE (2009), PROGNOSE/PROGNOSIS (2008) and PA/FATHER (2006), which was screened at the Commonwealth Film Festival and was in the official selection of the African International Film Festival, Tariva, Spain. MJ's films can be viewed at www.prefab.co.za.

MJ lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa.

Awards

1995 Winner of the Sasol New Signatures Competition | Pretoria Art Gallery, Pretoria, SA.

Collections

• Slow Lounge — Cape Town International Airport
• Nando’s UK
• South African Reserve Bank
• Telkom SA
• De Grendel
• Tronox — Stanford, USA
• Unisa – Pretoria
• Wapnick Collection — Pretoria
• Webber and Wenzel Attorneys
• Pretoria Art Museum
• Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) — South Africa

Galleries

• 131 A Gallery

Solo exhibitions

• 1998 — NIGHT — Millenium Gallery, Pretoria, SA.
• 2000 — NIGHT 2 — Gallery 88, Sasolburg, SA.
• 2006 — BEWOON:/INHABIT — Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria, SA.
• 2007 — DURBAN AT DUSK — Gallery 415, Durban, SA.
• 2008 — DUSK — Everard Read Gallery — Cape Town, SA.
• 2009 — STATES IN SPACES — Everard Read, Cape Town, SA.
• 2011 — VERWAGTINGE / EXPECTATIONS — Gallery Grande Provence, Franschoek, SA.
• 2011 — AGO / GELEDE — Art Space, Johannesburg
• 2012 — PENINSULA — Chris Møller Art, Cape Town
• 2015 — WERK DIE LAND — Stephan Weltz & Co. Alphen Estate Constantia, Cape Town
• 2016 — PROXIMITY BY PROXY — Barnard Galery, Cape Town
• 2017 — IN SITU — Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg
• 2018 — VIEWS ON ENTROPY — Barnard, Cape Town
• 2019 — SHIFT/ VERSKUIF — 50th Anniversary of the earthquake, Tulbagh Arts Festival
• 2019 — LAND REWOVEN — Pierneef Museum, Franschhoek

Group exhibitions

• 1996 — DIVING, LOVING, PURGING" (with Diane Victor and C. Diedericks) — Open Window Art Gallery, Pretoria, SA.
• 1997 — DIVING II — Golden Globe Gallery, Cape Town, SA.
• 1999 — PRESENT CONTINUOUS — Open Window Art Gallery, Pretoria, SA.
• 2002 — OERBAAN — Open Window Art Gallery, Pretoria, SA.
• 2003 — EXTENSIONS — Bronze Age Foundry, Cape Town, SA.
• 2003 — BEACONS:/BAKENS" (with Louis Vorster) — Upstairs @Bamboo, Johannesburg, SA.
• 2004 — PROPERTY:/EIENDOM"(with Louis Nel) — Upstairs @Bamboo, Johannesburg, SA.
• 2005 — PRETORIA — Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town , SA.
• 2006 — TRACE — Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg, SA.
• 2006 — ICON — Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg, SA.
• 2007 — SMALL WORKS — Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, SA.
• 2007 — DURBAN DETAILS" — Gallery 415, Durban, SA.
• 2007 — EVIDENCE — Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg, SA.
• 2007 — FLESH:/SCAPE" (with Lionel Smit) — Magpie Gallery, Irene, SA.

Group exhibitions (continued)

• 2008 — DSW — Saronsberg-Dorpstraat Gallery, Stellenbosch, SA.
• 2009 — THE CITY — Everard Read, Cape Town, SA.
• 2009 — METROPOOL" (with Jaco Benade) - SAAA, Pretoria, SA.
• 2009 — SEX POWER MONEY — Everard Read, Cape Town, SA.
• 2010 — VIEW FROM THE SOUTH — Everard Read, Cape Town, SA.
• 2010 — FLOW — Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg, SA.
• 2010 — WHERE? — Gallery Grande Provence, Franschhoek, SA.
• 2010 — ES(CAPE) — SAAA, Pretoria, SA.
• 2012 — PE PORTRAITS AND ENVIRONMENT" with Jaco Benade - ArtEvents, Port Elisabeth, SA.
• 2013 — TWO MAN SHOW WITH JACO BENADE — Trent Art, Pretoria, SA.
• 2014 — SECRET LOVE PROJECT SHOW — Cultural Gallery, Cape Town, SA.
• 2014 — LAST MEAL — Trent Art, Pretoria, SA.
• 2014 — WHAT LIES BENEATH — Equus Gallery Cavalli Estate, Cape Town, SA.
• 2014 — SURVEY — Carrol Lee Fine Art Upstairs@bamboo, Johannesburg, SA.
• 2014 — GROUP SHOW — Chelsea Art Fair, UK.
• 2014 — VIVA VANITAS — Trent Art, Pretoria, SA.
• 2014 — WINTER EXHIBITION — Everard Read, Cape Town, SA.
• 2015 — Equus Group show — Cavali wine Estate, Somerset West, Cape Town, SA.
• 2015 — Summer show — Everard Read, Cape Town, SA.
• 2015 — Dinner Collection – Barnard Gallery, Cape Town, SA.
• 2016 — Future/Present — Barnard Gallery, Cape Town, SA.
• 2016 — Cape Town Art Fair — Barnard Gallery, Cape Town, SA.
• 2016 — NANO — Barnard Gallery, Cape Town, SA.
• 2017 — Masterpiece Johannes Borman, Cape Town SA.
• 2017 — Cape Town Art Fair Barnard Gallery