(b. 1958 Riversdale, South Africa)

Shany van den Berg's artistic practice stems from her life as a woman, mother and professional artist. Renowned for her technical acumen, subtle symbolism and agility in slipping between portraiture, figurative, abstraction and sculptural, she investigates and interrogates the critical contemporary themes of womanhood, identity, family, and connectedness to mother earth. With subtle symbolism and technical agility, her artwork is diverse, ranging from portraiture, figuration  and mixed media, combined with abstraction and sculpture. She reconstitutes her stream of consciousness as both fable and history, binding together a layered ‘map’. This serves as both a solitary interior landscape of self-reflection and the more universal language of humanity's journey through one’s life. Shany van den Berg’s artworks poignantly remind us that we are all unique and inescapably part of one human race and planet.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023

Garden of Her Dreams, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

2022

Her Garden, Everard Read, London, UK

2021 

nōs / ons, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2019  

Dreampond, Everard Read Gallery, London, UK

2018  

Fluisteringe vanaf n Leliepoel/ Whispers from a Lily Pond, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

2017

(in)filtrati on of time, CIRCA gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2015  

Al(l)een, The Gallery at Grande Provence, Franschhoek, South Africa

New works, Gallery at La Grande Provence, Franschhoek, South Africa

2013

Hinterland, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

2011

Siel van my Vel, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2010  

Solo, IS Art at Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek, South Africa

2008

In gesprek met, Smelik & Stokking, Den Haag, Netherlands

2007      

..(h)erken...ken...en..., Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

Gedagtes wat reis, My Own Choice Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2006

Dwaaltuin, Grande Provence Gallery, Franschhoek, South Africa

Die Fees Gees, Cultivaria at Vrede en Lust Wine Estate, Paarl, South Africa 

2003

Construction site, Limeline Design, Cape Town, South Africa

2001 

Vlug in tyd, Dorp Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa

1999  

My shadow, my echo, me, Bang the Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022  

Spring, group show, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

Things I’d like to remember, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2021 

Offering, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

2020 

On Being, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

Journeys of the Mind, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

Toe ek 21 was, Toyota US Woordfees, Stellenbosch, South Africa

STILL, Everard Read, UK & South Africa

2019

Selected Artists curated by Trent Read, Knysna Fine Art Gallery, Knysna, South Africa

The Ampersand Foundation / 21 Year Celebration Exhibition/ A Vision of Jack Ginsberg, UJ Art Gallery

Johannesburg, South Africa

Southern Aspect, Everard Read, London, UK

Winter, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

Synchronous, Knysna Fine Art, Knysna, South Africa

2018

Winter, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2017 

Investec Cape Town Art Fair, with Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

Winter, CIRCA, Cape Town, South Africa

People and Portraiture, CIRCA, Cape Town, South Africa

Summer, Everard Read, London, UK

Winter, Everard Read, London, UK

2016 

Investec Cape Town Art Fair, with Everard Read, Cape Town, South africa

Opening Exhibition, Everard Read, London, UK

Winter Collection, Group Show, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2015 

Fear & Loss – Industrial Karoo Group installation, Pretoria Art Museum, South Africa

100 Years, Die Burger Artscape Group Exhibition Cape Town, South Africa

Summer Sculpture Garden Group Exhibition Mount Nelson Hotel Gardens, Everard Read, Cape Town, 

South Africa

Homage, Group Exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

Winter, Group Exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2014 

Summer Season, group exhibition, D-Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Fear & Loss - Industrial Karoo Group Exhibition, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein, SA

Summer of Sculpture III, group exhibition, Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa

Magicus, group exhibition, D-Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2013 

Cape Town Re-Imagined, group exhibition, Suidoosterfees, Cape Town, South Africa

100, group exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

Universal Suffering, group exhibition, War Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Femininity, group exhibition curated by Eva Roer, Germany

SAADA Antique Fair, Pier Rabe Antiques, Franschhoek, South Africa

Hiernamaals/Hereafter, group show, Slee Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Binnehemels, group show, Red, Black & White, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2012

Small Works, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

A Summer of Sculpture, group show, Mount Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa

2010 

Collaboration with Mogalakwena Art and Craft in Limpopo for Waterkloof Biodynamic Wine estate

2009 

The Great South African Nude, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

Sex, Power, Money, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2008 

Confluence, a two-woman exhibition between China & South Africa, Everard Read, Cape Town, 

South Africa

Art Fair Utrecht, Netherlands

2006

Small works, group show, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

Shany van den Berg / Strijdom van der Merwe, Grande Provence Gallery, Franschhoek, South Africa

2005

Three , trio, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2000-2

Shany van den Berg/Alex Hamilton, Bang the Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2000  

A Celebration of Art & Technology, group show in aid of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, 

sponsored by Hewlett Packard

 

 

COMPETITIONS & PROJECTS

2022

Woordfees / Stellenbosch,  SA in conjunction with Stauss & Co, South Africa  

2021  

Sanlam Portrait Award Finalist: Rust en Vrede Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2019

Sanlam Portrait Top 40 Finalist ‘Leah se Water’ Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2016  

BP Portrait Finalist, ’SELF’ Portrait Gallery, London

BP Travel Award Shortlisted Finalist, Portrait Gallery, London

Art Patron during 2016 of MAD Leadership Foundation / Collaboration with students, Stellenbosch, 

South Africa

2013   

Fellowship granted by the Ampersand Foundation, New York

2011   

Bright Ideas Ceramic art / Light from Africa Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa

2010   

BP Award Portrait Finalist, ‘Bloedlyn/Bloodline Sannie en Leah’ ,  Portrait Gallery, London

2 Textile wall artworks / 6m by 2m made between Mogalakwena Art and Craft center in Limpopo 

and Shany van den Berg for Waterkloof Wine Estate, Somerset West, South Africa

2009

BP Award Portrait Finalist, ’Dit is ek Gladys’ Portrait Gallery London

2008   

Art exchange / Hubei Institute of Art, China

Art Fair Utrecht / My Own Choice

2007   

AAF Amsterdam / My Own Choice

2005   

Sasol New Signatures / finalist

2004

Community Arts Workshop at Castle of Good Hope / Everard Read Gallery Cape Town, South Africa

2000

Hewlett Packard Project and Auction Johannesburg in support of Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, 

South Africa

1990  

Corobrick Ceramic Competition Cape Town / finalist

 

 

ART RESIDENCIES

2023

Residency at Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris / France

2013   

Fellowship to The Ampersand Foundation in New York USA

2007  

Art Exchange Hubei Institute of Art in Wuhan Central China and Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2004  

Community Arts Workshop where 10 artists from diverse walks of life exploring the first 10 years 

of democracy through individual and collaborative artworks.

Everard Read, Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, South Africa

1998  

One of 12 artists, 6 from South Africa and 6 from Germany working together in Lauenberg, Germany.

 

COLLECTIONS

Works included in private collections in South Africa, London, France, Germany, Luxenburg, Caymen Islands and U.S.A