Artist Database

Renee le Roux, born 1927 in Beaufort West, is regarded as an esteemed exponent of abstract South African art. She was a founding member of the Bloemfontein group, a collective who worked to challenge the conservative ideas that surrounded the Free State art world at the time. Throughout her career she continued to present works created with conceptual emphasis, revealing a strong European influence in the form of abstract and expressionistic techniques.

Abstraction remained a constant thread throughout her practice. She is especially known for her monotypes, which were non-refferential and often featured unusual palettes of blues, greens, and purples, rarely venturing into brighter hues before 1966. By the 1970s, her style began to shift subtly, with a growing focus on form. Her later pieces are marked by bold circular motifs and vivid colours layered over richly textured backgrounds.