Biography

Lien Botha

South Africa

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Photography

Lien Botha

Maria Elizabeth (Lien) Botha

*1961, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Lives and works in South Africa

Lien Botha studied languages at the University of Pretoria and worked as a Press photographer for Beeld before moving to Cape Town in 1984. In 1988 she obtained a BA Fine Arts degree from the University of Cape Town. Since that time she has participated in over eighty South African group exhibitions and forty international group exhibitions and has held nine solo exhibitions. Botha's work is represented in pivotal collections throughout South Africa as well as in key private collections locally and abroad.

Besides maintaining a professional photographic practice, she has been invited as guest lecturer at the Arts faculties of various tertiary institutions such as the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, and Studio Art Centres International, Florence, Italy. She is currently enrolled for an M.A in Creative Writing at the University of Cape Town.

Education:

2012 - present. Enrolled for an MA in Creative Writing. University of Cape Town. Cape Town. South Africa.
1988. BA Fine Art. University of Cape Town. Cape Town. South Africa.
1979-1981. BA Languages. University of Pretoria. Pretoria. South Africa.
1978. Matric. Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool. Pretoria. South Africa.

Solo Exhibitions:

2009. Parrot Jungle. the Photographers Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa
2008. Anthology. Oliewenhuis Museum. Bloemfontein. South Africa.
2006. Amendment. The Photographers Gallery. Cape Town.
2005. Safari. MC2a. Bordeaux. France.
2004. Safari. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees. Oudtshoorn. South Africa.
2002. Radio Maria. Cape Town Castle and SACI, Palazzo dei Cartelloni. Florence. Italy.
1997-1998. Boxing Days. Grahamstown. South Africa.
1991. Rites of Faith. South African Association of Arts. Cape Town. South Africa.
1989. A Passage of Wing. Chelsea Gallery. Wynberg. Cape Town. South Africa.

Group Exhibitions:

2012. HAWK (Hangklip Art Week). Overstrand. Western Cape. South Africa.
2012. Ik ben een Afrikander II. SASOL Museum. Stellenbosch. South Africa.
2011. A natural selection:1991-2011. The AVA Gallery. Church Street. Cape Town. South Africa.
2011. Threshold. Michaelis Gallery. University of Cape Town. South Africa.
2011. A conversation with the Bolus collection: Science, Sensibility and sexuality. Michaelis School of Fine Art. Cape Town. South Africa.
2011. Michaelis School of Fine Art exhibition and auction. University of Cape Town. Cape Town. South Africa.
2011. Lens. SASOL Art Museum. Stellenbosch. South Africa.
2011. Map. University of Johannesburg Art Gallery. Johannesburg. South Africa.
2010. The Botanical Cape. Africa Nova/Casa Labia. Muizenberg. Cape Town. South Africa.
2010. (Es)Cape. Pretoria Association of Arts. Pretoria. South Africa.
2010. From Pierneef to Gugulective 1910-2010. Iziko South African National Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
2010. Dagboek. Woordfees. Stellenbosch. South Africa.
2009. Resolution: the power of Innuendo. AVA Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
2009. Visitor. Irma Stern Museum. Rosebank. Cape Town. South Africa.
2008. Beyond the Line. Johannesburg Art Gallery. Johannesburg. South Africa.
2008. Construct: Beyond the documentary photograph. UNISA Art Gallery. South Africa.
2008. Reality Check: Contemporary South African Art Photography. IZIKO South African National Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
2008. Johannesburg Art Fair. Johannesburg. South Africa.
2006. Waste at Work. SPIER. Stellenbosch. South Africa.
2006. Want & Desire. Joáo Ferreira. Cape Town. South Africa.
2006. Home Sweet Home. Strydom Art Gallery. George. South Africa.
2005. Women for Children, Art for Humanity. Durban Art Gallery and Billboards. Durban. South Africa.
2005. Interpreting Landscape. Artb Bellville. Cape Town and Association of Arts. Pretoria. South Africa.
2005. Girls Night Out. Joáo Ferreira Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
2004. A Decade of Democracy: South African Art 1994-2004. Iziko Museums: South African National Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
2004. City Hall (with Mariella Poli) Association for Visual Arts. Cape Town. South Africa.
2003. Lexicons and Labyrinths: iconography of the genome. South African Museum. Cape Town. South Africa.
2002. Letsels. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees. South Africa.
2001. Aarsel. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees. South Africa.
2000. Collaboration. Bell Roberts Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
2000. How the land lies (Lyn Smuts, Sophie Peters, Lien Botha). Chelsea Gallery. Wynberg. Cape Town. South Africa.
2000. Unplugged V. Market Gallery. Johannesburg. South Africa.
1999. Lines of Sight. South African National Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
1999. Still Life. A.R.T Gallery. Paarl. South Africa.
1998. 10 Photographers. A.R.T Gallery. Paarl. South Africa.
1998. Photographics. The Open Window. Pretoria. South Africa.
1997. Recent Publications. Hardground Printmakers. AVA. Cape Town. South Africa.
1997. Photo synthesis. Grahamstown festival and touring. South Africa.
1997. District Six Sculpture Festival. District Six / Zonnebloem. Cape Town. South Africa.
1996/1997. Contemporary South African Art: 1985-1995 from the South African National Gallery Permanent Collection. South African National Gallery. South Africa.
1996. Portraits and Identities. Paarl Museum. Paarl. South Africa.
1996. Rhodes Memorial (with Raymond Smith) AVA. Cape Town. South Africa.
1996. Faultlines: Enquiries into truth and reconciliation. Castle. Cape Town. South Africa.
1995. Krotoa's Room (with Raymond Smith). The Grain Cellar. Castle. Cape Town. South Africa.
1995. People's Portraits. SANG (a touring exhibition). South Africa.
1995. The GAP. Grahamstown Festival. Grahamstown. South Africa.
1995. Africus Johannesburg Biennale: Objects of defiance, spaces of contemplation. Museumafrica. Johannesburg. South Africa.
1994. The Locker Room Project, River Club, Observatory. South Africa.
1994. Lyn Smuts and Lien Botha. Chelsea Gallery. Wynberg. Cape Town. South Africa.
1993. Women's Work. SAA of Arts. Bellville. South Africa.
1993. Aids Awareness and Safer Sex. SAA of Arts. Cape Town. South Africa.
1991. Recent acquisitions. Iziko Museums: SA National Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.

International group exhibitions:

2011. The Living Archive. Ars 11 Kuopio. Finland.
2011. For a sustainable world. African Photography Biennial. Bamako. Mali.
2011. Crossing Boundaries: Contemporary Art and Artists from South Africa. Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar. Qatar.
2009. Reflets d'Afrique. Panafricain Festival of Algiers. MOMA. Algeria.
2008. Fotofest. Calabria. Italy.
2008. Actions. Manifesta Biennial. Trentino. Italy
2008. Kick the carbon habit. Te Papa Tongerewa Museum of New Zealand. New Zealand.
2007. Désirréalités. Espace 1789. Saint-Ouen. Paris. France.
2007. Hereford Photography Festival.
2007. Uniform: South Africa's new clothes. Spanierman Modern. New York. USA.
2007. Another World. Jeumon of Saint Denis. Reunion.
2007. Contemporary Art Photography from South Africa. Neuer Berliner Kunstverein. Berlin. Germany & touring.
2007. 31 African Photographers. La Centrale Electrique. Brussels. Belgium.
2006. 12 African photographers. Kornhausforum. Bern. Switzerland.
2005. Another World. Bamako Biennale. Mali.
2005. Cutting Water. Theatre Performance with Compagnie des Limbes: Lectoure and Novart. Bordeaux. France.
2005. Photo San Francisco. USA.
2005. L'Ete Photographique de Lectoure. France.
2004. Post: Contemporary South African Photography. Tama Art University. Tokyo. Japan.
2003. City Hall. San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery. USA.
2002. Aspects of HIV/Aids. Wellesley College. Massachussetts. USA.
2002. South African Photographers. OMC Gallery. Düsseldorf. Germany.
2001. Topographies. Harare. Zimbabwe.
2001. Lines of sight. Bamako. Mali.
1999. Project Conflux. Mikado Gallery. Luxembourg and touring.
1998. South African Fine Art Prints in Belgium. Antwerp, Louvain. Belgium.
1998. Memorias Intimas Marcas. Museu da Cidadé. Lisbon. Portugal.
1997. Fin de Siécle. SA Arborescence. Nantes Festival. Nantes. France.
1997. Lifetimes. Contemporary SA Art. Art Bureau. Munich. Germany.
1996. Images of the West: Images of Africa Fest. African photographers. Copenhagen. Denmark.
1996. Don't mess with Mr. In-between. 15 Artistas Da Africa do Sul. Culturgest. Lisbon. Portugal.
1995. Transitions. Contemporary SA Art at the Bath Festival. UK.
1995. Noue Graphik aus Südafrika. Hamburgisches Museum fur Volkerkunde. Germany.
1994. Crosscurrents. Barbara Gillman Gallery. Florida. Miami. USA.

Curatorships:

2012. HAWK (Hangklip Art Week). Overstrand. Western Cape. South Africa.
1999. 100xC, Cape Town's first Month of Photography. Cape Town. South Africa. (co-curator)
1999. Invincibles. State Theatre Art Gallery. Pretoria. South Africa. (co-curator)
1999. Bloedlyn. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees. Oudtshoorn and AVA. Cape Town. South Africa.
1994. Photo Works by Women. SAA of Arts. Cape Town. South Africa.
1992. Not December. The Artsstrip. Cape Town. (co-curator)

Seminars:

2011. Matric Art and Design Seminar. Rustenburg High School. Cape Town. South Africa.
2010. Travelling Leica: Photographic Resonance across Continents. Seminar presented during the exhibition: Juggling with the familiar II. Centre for African Studies. University of Cape Town. Cape Town. South Africa.

Catalogues/Publications:

2012. Ik ben een Afrikander (I am an African). Artspace. Johannesburg. South Africa.
2012. HAWK (Hangklip Art Week) map catalogue. Lien Botha and Village Voice.
2011. For a Sustainable World: African Photography Biennial. 9th edition, Institut Francais/Actes Sud. Bamako. Mali.
2011. Crossing Boundaries: Contemporary Art and Artists from South Africa. Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar. Doha. Qatar.
2009. Signature Pieces: The Standard Bank Corporate Art Collection. Bell Roberts Publishing.
2009. Parrot Jungle. Bronwyn Law Viljoen. Colourtone Press. Cape Town. South Africa.
2009. Reflets d'Afrique. Musée National d’art moderne et contemporain d’Alger. ed Ameziane Ferhani. Algeria.
2008. The Cape Town Month of Photography. edited by Geoffrey Grundlingh. The South African Centre for Photography. South Africa.
2007. Look at me: Women artists and poets advocate children's rights. Art for humanity.
2007. Zeitgenössische Fotokunst aus Südafrika. NBK edition Braus. Heidelberg. Germany.
2006. Amendment. Lien Botha.
2006. Waste at work. Coeo.
2005. art @ work: a decade and more of the SASOL Art Collection. edited by Lucia Burger, Kathryn Smith, Teresa Lizamore & Brenda Jacobs. Sasol Ltd.
2005. The Cape Town Month of Photography. edited by Geoffrey Grundlingh. Bell Roberts.
2004. Bamako Biennale: Un autre monde. Simon Njami, E. Koehler. Paris. France.
2004. Post: Contemporary South African Photography. Tama Art University Museum. Japan.
2003. Lexicons and Labyrinths: iconography of the genome. Human Sciences Research Council.
2003. Safari. Scanshop. Cape Town. South Africa.
2002. The Cape Town Month of Photography. edited by Geoffrey Grundlingh. The South African Centre for Photography. Cape Town. South Africa.
2001. Lines of Sight: Perspectives on South African Photography. South African National Gallery. Hansa Reproprint. South Africa.
1999. Project Conflux. Association for Visual Arts. Cape Town. South Africa.
1999. Bloedlyn. Lien Botha. Logo Print. Cape Town. South Africa.
1999. Invincibles. Logo Print. Cape Town. South Africa.
1998. Marcas News. Third Edition. Johannesburg. South Africa.
1997. Boxing days. Marion Arnold. Logo Print. Cape Town. South Africa.
1997. District Six Sculpture Project, Photo Synthesis, Contemporary South African Photography. South African National gallery. South Africa.
1997. Contemporary South African Art: 1985-1995 from the South African National Gallery Permanent Collection. Hansa Reproprint. SANG. South Africa.
1996. Don't mess with Mr. In-between.
1995. 1st Johannesburg Biennale. Africus.

Collections:

Ellerman House. Cape Town. South Africa.
Durban Art Gallery. Durban. South Africa.
Johannesburg Art Gallery. Johannesburg. South Africa.
Pietersburg Art Gallery. Pietersburg. South Africa.
Provincial Libraries. Cape Town. South Africa.
SA National Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
Standard Bank Corporate. Johannesburg. South Africa.
Telkom. University of Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch. South Africa.
University of the Orange Free State. South Africa.
Wellesley College. Massachussetts. USA.
Pretoria Art Museum. Pretoria. South Africa.
Durban Institute of Technology. Durban. South Africa.
UNISA. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Museum. Port Elizabeth. South Africa.
SASOL. MuseumAfrica. Johannesburg. South Africa.
ATKV. Irma Stern Museum, University of Cape Town. South Africa.
Natural World Museum. San Francisco. USA.
Telesure. Mettle. Hollard.
Oliewenhuis Museum. Bloemfontein. South Africa.
Stiftung: kunst raum sylt quelle. South Africa, Germany.
Cornerstone Asset Managers. Rondebosch. Cape Town. South Africa.

Residencies, Awards & Scholarships

2011. National Arts Council grant. Hawk (Hangklip Art Week).
2010. kunst: raum sylt quelle residency. Germany.
2009. Business Arts South Africa supporting grant. Parrot Jungle.
2009. National Arts Council grant. Parrot Jungle.
2006. Ampersand Foundation Fellowship. New York. USA.
2005. Nouaison. Pujols. France.
2004. Festival Artist. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees. Oudtshoorn. South Africa.
2003. San Francisco Art Intitute. San Francisco. USA.
2001. Studio Art Center International. Visiting artist scholarship. Florence. Italy.
1999. Arts and Culture Trust grant. Bloedlyn. South Africa.
1999. Business Arts South Africa supporting grant. Bloedlyn. South Africa.
1999. National Arts Council grant. Bloedlyn. South Africa.
1997. Standard Bank Young Artist.
1990. Cité Internationale des Arts. Paris. France.

Employment

2003. Part-time lecturer. University of Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch. South Africa.
1997-2003. Part-time lecturer. Michaelis School of Fine Art.
1991. Staff photographer. SA National Gallery. Cape Town. South Africa.
1984. Co-ordinator: SAMCA Art Department. Stikland Industria. Western Cape. South Africa.
1983. Press photographer. Beeld. Pretoria. South Africa.