Art at Lion Sands

Artist Arlene Amaler-Raviv relishes her time on our Artist Residency at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge.

An experienced painter from South Africa, Arlene Amaler-Raviv received a BA Fine Arts Degree from the University of the Witwatersrand where she studied under Robert Hodgins. She started her career in the ‘70s involved in art education, workshops, teaching, and teacher training programmes.

Moving several times across many cities and countries, her work is influenced by themes of displacement, transition, and relocation. Arlene paints the human condition through her blend of figuration and abstraction, producing emotionally charged paintings that represent larger socio-political themes.

Arlene views the world from afar taking the world’s burdens and history that she has observed and translating these messages into her paintings. Through her art, she gives people a voice.

“It is my first time spending this amount of time in the bush, and it’s extraordinary. I have been hosted beautifully by the team at Lion Sands. My art is a process and layered - in-between the pieces need to dry, and one layer often informs the next. I am working on ten canvas pieces here at the same time,” says Arlene.

“My work to date started with portraiture, which is more personal and intimate, then moved into more removed observation of the human condition. I find it challenging to paint animals so this is a real learning experience for me.”

Arlene's life journey has been beautifully intertwined with her passion for art. Her artistic endeavours date back to 1979, when she began showcasing her talent through solo exhibitions at prestigious venues like Everard Read Gallery and Market Theatre Gallery, as well as group shows both in South Africa and abroad.

Just some of her milestones include time spent as an art lecturer at the University of Pretoria in the early ‘90s. In 1996 she lived in the Netherlands where she assisted in the curatorship of the exhibition ‘Africa meets Africa’ at the Museum of Ethnology, Rotterdam.

In addition to her teaching and curatorial experiences, Arlene creates thought-provoking art installations and captivating large oil paintings on glass. Notably, she participated in the District Six Sculpture Project 'Dislocation Relocation,' where she crafted a remarkable twenty-meter site-specific installation. Further showcasing her artistic versatility, Arlene collaborated with photographer Dale Yudelman in two highly successful exhibitions, 'One' at the Association for Visual Arts and 'Where the Mountain meets the City' at 232 Long Street.

As her artistic journey continued to flourish, Arlene's talent and dedication were recognised further, and in 2000, Vodacom commissioned her to create an installation consisting of seventeen captivating oil paintings on aluminium.

A testament to her skill and vision, Arlene's artworks have found their rightful places in various private collections worldwide and across South Africa, where they continue to inspire and captivate audiences.

Throughout her career, Arlene's art has been a true reflection of her remarkable journey, leaving a lasting impact on the art world.

View Arlene’s website to enjoy more of her work.

The Artist Residency brings artists into a creative space where they can focus on their craft, while connecting with an appreciative audience. A gallery/studio is situated within Ivory Lodge and becomes home for weeks at a time where artists, new and established, can draw unparalleled inspiration from their location and wildlife sightings to create new pieces, while also showcasing their work.

Artist arranged via Melrose Gallery, Johannesburg, in partnership with Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art (SAFFCA)

Contact morgan@lionsands.com should you be interested in purchasing any artwork from our featured artists at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge