(b. 1945 Johannesburg, South Africa)

Wilma Cruise is a South African sculptor and visual artist. She works mainly with fired clay in her renderings of life-sized human and animal figures. Her sculpture installations and exhibitions are often accompanied by works on paper – large format drawings. She has also completed several series of print editions. A number of her ceramic sculptures have been successfully translated into bronze editions. Themes explored in Cruise’s work include the interface between humans and animals and existential conditions of muteness – silent, internal battles in the search for meaning.

Cruise has had over twenty solo exhibitions, curated others and completed a number of public works including the National Monument to the Women of South Africa at the Union Buildings, Pretoria and The Memorial to the Slaves in Cape Town.Her work is represented in public, corporate and private collections throughout South Africa. She has participated in the Havana Biennale, the Florence Biennale and the prestigious 7th Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale in Seoul, Korea.

Cruise is currently pursuing her doctoral studies at the University of Stellenbosch in the field of art and animal ethics, she is a fellow of Ceramics South Africa and writes extensively in the field of ceramics.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019    

Some are More Equal than Others, RK Contemporary, Riebeek Kasteel

2016    

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast, Gallery University Stellenbosch

The 8th Square, Cavalli Gallery, Cavalli Wine Estate, Somerset West

2015    

Advice from a Caterpillar,  David Krut Projects, Arts on Main, Johannesburg, South Africa

Clay Museum, Cape Town , South Africa

2014    

Menagerie at Tokara, The sculpture garden at Tokara Wine Estate, Curated by Ilse Schemers

2013-4  

Will you, won’t you, will you join the dance? National Arts Festival, Grahamstown and Oliewenhuis Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa

2012    

The Alice Diaries, Circa on Jellicoe, Johannesburg, South Africa

2011    

Wilma Cruise at Wildekrans Country House. Houhoek, South Africa

Alice and The Animals. University of the North West Art Gallery, Potchefstroom, South Africa

The Animals in Alice,  iArt Gallery, Wembley Square, Cape Town, South Africa

2008     

SPLIT LON.NY.JHB. David Krut Projects, Johannesburg, South Africa

2006     

Cruise at Krut: Wilma Cruise Works on Paper, Johannesburg, South Africa

2001    

HYS. SUSP. text/image/sound. Millennium Gallery, Pretoria, South Africa

2000    

rapRACK, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

1998    

Mirroring ourselves (with Regi Bardavid), AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

1997    

Continuous projection,  African Window Museum, Pretoria, South Africa

1996    

John’s wife, First Gallery, Parkhurst, Johannesburg, South Africa

1993    

Nicholas - October 1990, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

1991    

Jacobs and Liknaitsky Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

1990    

Untitled: (everlasting nothingness made visible), Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

1987    

Portrait of my friends and other animals, Beuster-Skolimowski Gallery, Pretoria, , South Africa

1985    

Sylvester in September. Beuster-Skolimowski Gallery, South Africa

All those lonely people. Things Gallery, Johannesburg,South Africa

1983    

Collection. Beuster-Skolimowski Gallery, Pretoria. South Africa

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2017    

Off the wall; A Group Sculpture Show, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg

2016    

Opening Gallery Exhibition, CIRCA Gallery, London, UK

2015    

(In) The Nature of Things, FynArts Festival, Hermanus, South Africa

Slow Violence, GUS, Stellenbosch, South Africa

The Princess in the Veld, Curated by Adele Adendorff, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Outshoorn,          South Africa

Carved Relief Print Group Exhibition, David Krut Projects Johannesburg, South Africa

Summer Sculpture III, Everard Read, Mt Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa

2014    

Play, Nirox, Johannesburg, South Africa

2013    

7th Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale, Korea

Everard Read Centenary Exhibition, Johannesburg, South Africa

Re-envisioning the Anglo-Boer (South African) War, Curated by Angela de Jesus and Janine Allen. Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery and The War Museum of the Boer Republics, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Figuration and Negation, Fried Contemporary, Pretoria, South Africa

2012    

The Rainbow Nation: Contemporary Sculpture from South Africa, Beelden aan Zee and Lange Voorhout,     The Hague, Holland

2011    

Selected Editions and Works on Paper, David Krut Projects, Cape Town, South Africa

Horse: Multiple Views of a Singular Beast, Curated by Ricky Burnett. Circa on Jellicoe, South Africa

Wilma Cruise, Frikkie Eksteen and Robert Hodgins. Curated by Basie Botha. Trent Gallery at Cameo Framers, Pretoria

2010    

HERITAGE 2010, Curated by Albie Bailey, Paarl

Painters who Print, The Gallery at Grande Provence, Franschhoek, South Africa

Bodies in Transition. Curated by Elfrieda Dreyer. Fried Contemporary, Pretoria, South Africa

2009    

The Urban Animal, Curated by Sonja Britz and Ann-Marie Tully, ABSA Gallery Johannesburg, South            Africa

3, with Guy du Toit and Gordon Froud, NaudeModern, Pretoria, South Africa

2008    

Space Fusion Artspace, Johannesburg, South Africa

2007    

Montage, Resolution Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

Sculpture Garden, Grande Provence, Franschoek, South Africa

Little Deaths, (with Elfrieda Dreyer and Guy du Toit curated by Elfrieda Dreyer) Fried Contemporary, Pretoria, South Africa

2006    

Roles/Robes, Fried Contemporary, Pretoria, South Africa

Home Sweet Home, Strijdom Gallery, George, South Africa

2005    

Works on paper: Collaborative Prints from David Krut Print Workshop, Franchise, Johannesburg, South   Africa

David Krut Collaborations: 25 Years of Prints and Multiples, National Arts Festival, Grahamstown

2002    

Male Order, Standard Bank National Arts Festival, Touring exhibition   

Manuscript Exhibition 4, Boekehuis, Johannesburg, South Africa

2001    

Biennale Internazionale Dell’arte Contemporanea, Florence, Italy

Observations (with Guy du Toit and Dianne Victor), The Open Window Art Gallery, Pretoria, South Africa

2000    

Water Colour Society of South Africa, (Guest Exhibitor). Norscot Manor, , South Africa

AS CURATOR

2004    

Earthworks/Claybodies, (Deborah Bell, Wilma Cruise, Guy du Toit, Petros Gumbi), Sasol Art Museum, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

2003    

Earthworks/Claybodies. (Deborah Bell, Wilma Cruise, Guy du Toit, Josephine Ghesa). Pretoria Art   Museum and Standard Bank Gallery

1999    

(Re)figuring abstraction. (Regi Bardavid, Jenni Stadler, Pascual Tarazona), Sandton Civic Gallery, , South     Africa

1995    

Space/(Dis)Place. Africus Biennale, Johannesburg, (as artist and curator)

1992    

Edges. Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg (as artist and curator)

1991    

The contemporary vessel, Karen McKerron Gallery, Bryanston, (as artist and curator) 

RESIDENCIES AND WORKSHOPS

2009    

Artspace Mentorship Programme Mentor: Wilma Cruise. Mentee: Louis Olivier 19 to 30 September

2007    

Lower Eastside Printshop, New York, March (supported by David Krut Projects)

Guest, Rhodes University, Grahamstown

Guest Rhodes Univerisity, Grahamstown

1998    

Artist-in-residence, Standard Bank Festival of Arts, Grahamstown

1997    

European contemporary art in the point of intersection between contemporary cultures and nations, Ryn, Poland

Havana Biennale, Cuba

PUBLIC AND COPRPORATE COLLECTIONS

Iziko (South African National Gallery)

Durban Art Museum

Pretoria Art Museum

University of South Africa Collection

Corobrik Collection

Polokwane Municipal Collection

Billiton

MTN

Constitutional Court

Standard Bank Gallery

Sasol

Sasol University Museum, Stellenbosch

University of Johannesburg

Rand Merchant Bank

University of the North West

War Museum Bloemfontein

Ellerman House, Cape Town