Artist CV

Artist's statement

(b 1988ZW. Lives and works in Cape Town)

Cross is a painter who creates symbols about motherhood, home, belief structures, and land. She draws from her childhood and young adulthood, which was split between South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Greece, India and the USA. This diverse upbringing allows her to fuse cultural storytelling, spirituality, and a mining of symbols in her loud and colour-filled canvases. Her shifting influences create works that are rooted in history, performative archaeology and African cosmology, reflecting her own cultural journey.

Solo exhibitions

2020: Atlas is a Woman, The Vault, The Silo Hotel, Cape Town
2019: Mother is a Drum, Smith Studio, Cape Town
2017: The Meal is Not the Menu, Smith Studio, Cape Town
2016: Cave Canem, Solo Special Projects, FNB Art Fair, Johannesburg; A cavern, in the middle, a boiling cauldron, Gallery400, Chicago, 2016
2015: Pleasuring Ground, Smith Studio, Cape Town

Group exhibitions

2020: Peep Show, curated by Dale Lawrence and Claire Johnson, Cape Town [online}; Kernel, curated by myself and Nabeeha Mohamed, Cape Town; Proxies, gallerygallery, Johannesburg
2019: Rendevous II, Smith Studio, Cape Town; Rise, Anon Pop up, 44 Loop Street, Cape Town; Bad Taste: Image in Crisis, Smith Studio, Cape Town
2018: Rendevous, Smith Studio, Cape Town; Close Encounters, Smith Studio, Cape Town; Nano, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town
2017: Salad, Smith Studio, Cape Town; Another Antipodes/urban axis, PS Art Space, Fremantle; Dear History: It’s Not Me, It’s You, LKB/G, Hamburg
2016: Exile Inside Out, Heaven Gallery, Chicago; Hot House, 2nd Floor Rear Festival, Chicago, curated by myself and Aaron Walker; Stovetop H/earth, curated by Jesus Javier, Hairpin Art Center, 2nd Floor Rear Festival, Chicago; Sketch, Smith Studio, Cape Town
2015: Not from Here, 70 Juta Street, Johannesburg; Current, Smith Studio, Cape Town
2014: Bugatti Dreams Park Free, University of Illinois at Chicago
2013: Cube-Route: Beggin’ for Change, Cape Town, an Open Drawer Project
2012: {Impression : Sunset}, Salon91, Cape Town; Fire Horizon, AfrikaBurn Festival, Tankwa Karoo; Open Drawer Project, 2012
2011: Part 1: The Drawing Room, Spin Space Gallery, Cape Town
2010: To Intervene in the Forest of Signs, Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town; One Night Affair, A Word of Art Gallery, Cape Town

Awards & residencies

2015: Grant from Office of Sustainability, University of Illinois at Chicago, Uptool project
2014-2015: Board of Trustees Fee Waiver, University of Illinois at Chicago
2012: 24 Hour Suburban Residency, Sober and Lonely Institute of Art
2013: Visual Art grant from National Arts Council South Africa for Cube-Route an Open Drawer Project
2010: Awarded the Judy Steiner Painting Prize, Michaelis School of Fine Art
2010: Mentor Program at Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town 2007-10 Dean’s Merit List, University of Cape Town
2007: Golden Key Member, University of Cape Town

Collections

Africa First Collection

University of Cape Town

Nandos Arts Trust

Spier Arts Trust

Art Angels

Teaching

University of Illinois at Chicago, Painting department

University of Cape Town, Painting and Art Discourse departments

Workshops held at various primary and high schools as part of Open Drawer Project collective.

Education

2016: MFA, Studio Arts, School of Art and Art History University of Illinois, Chicago
2012: BAHons, English Language and Literature Honours University of Cape Town
2011: Post-Grad Business Diploma, Business Acumen Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town
2010: BFA, Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town