Artist Database

Karel Nel, born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, is a celebrated artist, curator, and scholar known for his sophisticated integration of art and science. With studies in Fine Art from the University of the Witwatersrand, St. Martin’s School of Art in London, and a Fulbright placement at the University of California, Berkeley, Nel’s career spans multiple disciplines and decades. Until 2017, he was an Associate Professor at Wits University and, in 2018, became Senior Advising Curator at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, where he curates major exhibitions featuring influential South African and international artists.

Since 2004, Nel has served as the resident artist with the COSMOS astronomical project, collaborating with global scientists to explore universal phenomena. His art draws on scientific themes, using materials like volcanic glass and baobab bark, creating works that are both conceptually rich and materially unique. Nel’s work is part of prominent collections worldwide, including the South African National Gallery, the Smithsonian, the Met, and the British Museum.

Image source: https://artthrob.co.za/07apr/artbio.html; Greg Marinovich