When you think of Fish Hoek, the mountain and a slower pace of life in Cape Town’s Deep South are among the first thoughts that come to mind. Art is not as high on that list.
However, beyond the beach and mountain is a community of painters, sculptors, photographers, illustrators, ceramicists and multidisciplinary artists creating work from studios, homes and shared creative spaces.
Open Studios Fish Hoek & Clovelly is bringing that talent into focus when it returns this October for its second edition.
From October 9 to 11, more than 30 artists across 20 locations will open their studios as part of a self-guided art trail, giving visitors the chance to see the work, meet the artists and find out more about their creative processes.
The event has grown considerably since last year's inaugural edition, which featured 19 artists. This year also introduces two shared studio hubs, Mothership Studios and Fish Hoek Studios.
Two of the stops on the trail are Mothership Studios and Fish Hoek Studios, which bring several artists together under one roof.
Mothership Studios will feature 13 artists working across painting, sculpture, illustration and mixed media, while Fish Hoek Studios has 11 individual studios and a woodworking workshop.
Together with the other locations across Fish Hoek and Clovelly, the studios form a trail rather than a single exhibition space. Visitors can move between different venues and encounter artists working in different mediums along the way.
That spread is part of what sets Open Studios Fish Hoek & Clovelly apart. Instead of asking visitors to head to one gallery or arts venue, the event takes them through two familiar Deep South suburbs, with each stop offering something different.
Among the newcomers is bronze sculptor Chris Bladen, whose detailed fish and bird sculptures are inspired by his fly-fishing and birdwatching.
Oil painter Mandy Lake creates ocean-inspired abstractions and has exhibited in galleries from George to Ballito.
Photographer Angela Buckland has exhibited at the Iziko South African National Gallery and Durban Art Gallery, with her work also published in three books.
Illustrator Nicolene Louw's pen-and-ink work has been exhibited as far afield as Switzerland and Portugal, while multidisciplinary artist Jasper Wolfeman has shown paintings and sculptural floral arrangements in Cape Town, Barcelona and the United States.
Their work covers vastly different mediums and subjects, but together they point to the breadth of creative work being produced in the Deep South.
For visitors, the appeal is not only seeing finished artworks. The trail opens up the spaces where artists actually work, offering a more personal look at their practices and the opportunity to buy directly from them.
It also puts artists who may not have a permanent gallery presence in front of a wider audience.
The event's growth from 19 artists to more than 30 in its second year suggests there is an appetite for that connection between artists and the public.
bernelee.vollmer@nationalmg.co.za