Night Watch

If you are in the Free State and find yourself anywhere near Ficksburg, take a 40+ km detour to the small cattle farming town of Rosendal. Look for General Fick Street and when you find number 490, pop into Skoppelmaai Studio, the gallery and studio of local artist WILLEM PRETORIUS.

- Fran Weerts

Willem’s photo-realistic work, which specializes in light and the quality of light, portrays somewhat melancholic images of small-town life. His home is also his gallery and studio; he believes potential investors in his work find it interesting to see how and where an artist lives and works.

Willem’s formal art training comprises a diploma in Graphic Design awarded by Pretoria Technikon (now Tshwane University of Technology) in 2000. He has been in the Sanlam Portrait Award’s top 40 twice, in 2013 and 2015.

He currently prefers to work less on consignment projects but rather focusses on having at least one solo exhibition a year. He also participates in various group exhibitions country-wide.