Zoë Paul

Born in London to South African parents and raised between Greece and England, Zoë Paul’s tri-cultural upbringing informs her investigation of the boundaries between the private and public as well as the relationship between artist and community. A sculptor and painter working in a variety of mediums including weaving, ceramics and beaded curtains, Paul revisits tradition via material and process, not to efface history but simply to reexamine it. Her works incorporate styles of picture-making from across history—ancient cave paintings, Byzantine iconography, classical Greek vases, as well as the digital pixels that compose virtual reality. She challenges prevailing ideas about ‘craft’ or femininity by peeling away the layers that time and convention have built. The ideas of labor and craftsmanship thus hold double meaning, pointing towards the process but also carrying a direct connection to matter and the maker. ...

Based in a 360 sqm gallery in Woodstock, Cape Town, blank was founded by Jonathan Garnham as a project space in 2005 and transitioned into a commercial gallery during 2012. The gallery represents emerging and increasingly established artists from the region in a critically engaged programme that emphasises contemporaneity, with a focus on concept and abstraction in the African context. With an exhibition programme that has a reputation for shaping the discourse around contemporary art in South(ern) Africa, and participation in prominent local and international art fairs, we seek to place our artists' work in a wide range of private and institutional collections. In addition, blank continues to promote the visual arts in our community through ongoing projects that support the sector. ...