Botanical Art Exhibitions in Africa

This page covers:
  • the Kirstenbosch Biennale which features a Botanical Art Show
  • the exhibitions run by the Botanical Arts Association of South Africa
  • an ARCHIVE of past exhibitions

Worldwide Exhibition of Botanical Art - Southern Africa

Botanical Art Worldwide: South Africa
The South African exhibition will be held in Johannesburg
Organiser: Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa, BAASA
Venue: Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg
​Dates: Opens 17th May 2018  and the show will run for a month
Theme: Native flora of South Africa
More information
Artists may depict any indigenous botanical material including all types of plant material from shrubs and trees to grasses, flowers, lichen, mosses and fungi. Subject matter MUST be indigenous to southern Africa, from within the boundaries of: South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Not including the islands off the mainland.

South Africa: Kirstenbosch Botanical Art Biennale Exhibition

The Kirstenbosch Biennale has two functions. It:
  • focuses on the indigenous plant life of South Africa.
  • showcases top South African botanical artists as well as artists from different parts of the globe. 
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The exhibition started in 2000 and has run every other year until 2015 - when the exhibition was postponed until 2016.
​It doesn't appear to have a website. Accordingly artists wishing to find out more about the Biennale or submit work should consult. 
Those living near any of the Botanical Gardens can seek their help with access to plant materials.
The criteria used for judging submissions for medals have been listed as follows

Media: all two-dimensional media, including watercolour, gouache, oil, acrylic, tempera, collage, original graphic works in pen, pencil, etching, engraving, linocuts, silkscreen and woodcut.

All four artworks submitted are considered as a whole, not just the “best” of the group.

All works need to demonstrate a high level of competence in:
  • Botanical accuracy
  • Composition
  • Painting, drafting, technical execution
  • Creating an exhibit that has unity and aesthetic appeal (framing is important here)
  • Making a unique contribution to botanical art.

The Kirstenbosch Biennale 2016

  • Kirstenbosch Biennale 2016  "Trees of Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and Zanzibar" 
Kirstenbosch Botanical Art Biennale: a focus on threatened species

Previous Kirstenbosch Biennales

This is a record of previous exhibitions
  • Kirstenbosch Biennale 2015 - postponed until 2016

Kirstenbosch Biennale 2013 (29 August to 15 September 2013):
Kirstenbosch Biennale 2010

Kirstenbosch Biennale 2008 (article reproduced with permission from Veld & Flora, the Journal of theBotanical Society of South Africa)

Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa

Venue: Morningside Shopping Centre, Johannesburg
Dates: : 11 May (opening night) to 15 May
Group exhibition by artists from the Botanical Artist's Association, Gauteng

ARCHIVE: Past Exhibitions of Botanical Art in Africa
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South Africa

Plant 

Venue: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town
Date: 17-25 September 2016
an exhibition of fine contemporary botanical artwork depicting the rich diversity of Southern African flora. 

Link in title goes to online exhibition of artwork in the exhibion.

UPDATES: How you can help

ANYBODY can help keep the information on the exhibition pages of this website up to date.

Please complete the form with details of:
  1. Title of the Exhibition
  2. Where it is being held (name of the place plus address PLUS State/Region and Country
  3. Start and finish dates
  4. Theme of the exhibition - what's behind the title
  5. URL for the exhibition
  6. If you'd like to send me an image e.g. an exhibition flyer you can email this to me - see CONTACT

    Tell me about an Exhibition in Africa