Notes

Karin Preller (b. 1962, Johannesburg) is a South African artist who transitioned from a brief career in law to pursue her passion for Fine Arts, studying at UNISA. She completed her MA(FA) at Wits in 2001 and recently achieved her PhD in Art and Design at UJ in June 2024. In recognition of her artistic contributions, she received the 2022 Kanna Award for Best Performance in Visual Arts at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival for her exhibition Beyond Memory, and she was nominated for a KykNET Fiësta Award in 2023, also for Beyond Memory.

Her works are housed in several prestigious collections, including the Johannesburg Art Gallery, UNISA, ABSA, SASOL, The Public Protector, the Pretoria Art Museum, and the Oliewenhuis Art Museum. Preller's paintings reflect her central concerns with the haunting and strange aspects of the mundane, often portrayed through still lives and snapshots. Through her meticulous technique, the laboured surfaces of her oil paintings enhance the poignancy of everyday objects, capturing a pervasive sense of mourning and loss inherent in daily life. By erasing visible brush marks, she emphasises the simplicity of shapes, forms, and light, creating a slight blur that echoes her photographic source material.