In her practical as well as her theoretical research, artist Esther Simonis, investigates the archaeological excavation as a metaphor for a personal, introspective delving and searching process which also manifests in her art making. She is a well-established artist with a Master’s Degree (Visual Arts) from University of South Africa. 

 

She majored in Printmaking, using a collagistic approach, which entails an accumulation and superimposing of layers of images and shapes, that represent the broken, incompleteness of archaeological ruins. 

 

Her involvement in archaeological excavations in both Israel and South Africa, gave her the opportunity and background for Landart projects in which she focused on the layering processes - the overlay of the past with the present. 

 

As a traveller and missionary, her impressions often capture a bird’s eye view of Africa and other countries. She exhibited widely in South Africa and some of her work is presented in private collections as well as in the permanent collections of universities and colleges. Large corporates like Sasol, also acquired some of her work for their art promotion.

 

Esther became one of Thaba Eco’s Green Partners after assisting Professor Revil Mason of the University of the Witwatersrand to perform Archaeological Excavations at Thaba Eco. She then created two Landart projects on the estate called: DIGGINGS & MEDITATION TRIAL.

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