Artist Database

Bruce Backhouse is a Johannesburg-based artist who studied fine art at Rhodes University under Brian Bradshaw from 1970 to 1971. Following his studies, he embarked on a 25-year career in the advertising industry, working as an art director and creative director for various agencies. During this time, he created illustrations for ads, articles, and magazine covers. In 1997, Backhouse became the managing director of Image Bank South Africa, where he worked until 2004 when he decided to pursue a full-time career as an artist. Backhouse is a landscape painter with a focus on desert landscapes, specifically those found in the Karoo and Kalahari. Although his landscapes are usually devoid of figures, he also creates satirical drawings and prints featuring people. Backhouse has exhibited his work in multiple solo and group exhibitions throughout South Africa, and his pieces are housed in collections belonging to First National Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, Standard Bank, Unisa, and various private collectors.