​About the Artist

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Esther Simonis is a South African master printmaker, sculptor, and land‑art practitioner whose career spans more than four decades across South Africa, Australia, and Israel. Her work explores the archaeology of place — the layered histories of landscape, memory, and human presence — through printmaking, monotype, sculpture, and environmental installation. Based in Hermanus, she continues to create work rooted in the textures, geology, and fynbos of the Cape.

Artist Statement

Esther’s practice is grounded in the belief that landscapes hold memory. Through printmaking and environmental installation, she excavates the traces of human and natural histories, revealing the quiet negotiations between time, erosion, and presence. Her work is both archival and intuitive — a dialogue between material, site, and story.

Selected Exhibitions:
Solo Exhibitions

•     Archaeologies of Place, AVA Gallery, Cape Town

•     Diggings 1 & 2, Thaba Eco, Johannesburg

•     Fried Contemporary, Pretoria​

•     Monotype Landscapes, Gallery 2, Johannesburg

•     Overlay of the Past with the Present, Thaba Eco, Johannesburg

•     SA Art Association, Pretoria

Group Exhibitions

•     Affordable Art Fair

•     Cape Town Art Fair

•     Cape Town Trianual

•     Fleurs Gallery, Hermanus

•     Fleurs White River for The Printing Girls

•     Fried Contemporary

•     Free State Art Festival

•     Paradigm Shift, Australia

•     Print Exchange, Australia

•     Print Exchange Universities, Pretoria

•     SA Print Gallery

•     Standard Bank Travel Drawing Exhibition
•     White River Gallery

Curatorial Projects

•     Fyn Arts Festival, Hermanus
•     International print exchanges and community‑based art education projects

•     Paradigm Shift, Perth, Australia — Curator

•     Thaba Art Weekend — Curator

Publications & Media

•     Art on the Rocks — Published book
•     Overlay of the Past with the Present — Featured article
•     Master’s Dissertation (Visual Arts): Archeological Methodology and Art Making - Excavating Parallels 
•     Media announcements and exhibition features (Thaba Eco, AVA, Gallery 2)

Awards & Recognition

•     PPC Imaginarium Finalist (multiple years)
•     Special recognition awards for printmaking and environmental installation

Professional Biography (Short Version)

Esther Simonis is a master printmaker and environmental artist whose work investigates the archaeology of landscape. With more than 40 years of exhibitions, curatorial projects, and educational initiatives, she is recognised for her contributions to South African printmaking and land‑art practice.

Downloadable Assets

•     Artist Biography (PDF)
•     Exhibition History (PDF)
•     High‑resolution images (press‑ready pending licensing agreement/s)
•     Selected works portfolio

Contact for Press

For interviews, media requests, or high‑resolution images:
Email: info@esthersimonisart.com
Location: Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa

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