Classic Contemporary

At the base of the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, beyond the greenery of Newlands Forest is Newlands Village. With sophisticated boutique shops, bars and restaurants, Barnard Gallery complements the village perfectly

- BONGIWE NOCANDA

 

With his background in interior design, founder Christiaan Barnard says building the gallery provided a great opportunity to design and plan the space to spec. Originally used as my design studio, my love for art and an understanding of spatial dynamics conducive to the presentation and viewing of art and design objects influenced my decisions from an architectural perspective. The double-volume interior in the main gallery space with floor-to-ceiling glass windows was an obvious choice facilitating the influx of natural light, a key element when viewing paintings in particular!

Christiaan's grandfather was an avid collector of European masterpieces and his mother worked for Sotheby's. For him, the motivation was and continues to be about the artists and their careers. 'I didn't start with the intention of establishing a commercial enterprise as such - it developed in this direction as I have endeavoured to promote and sell the work of contemporary artists, hopefully enabling them to pursue their dreams while earning a living from their practice.

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