Gallery 47 Art Studio

Précis of Victoria Janeke-Botma
An approved exhibitor with Artists Under the Sun (Zoo Lake)
By Cobus Veltman

As the eldest of four children, Victoria (amongst her friends, known as Vicky or Vix and a neè Wolfaard), was born on 7 May 1962 in Randfontein.
At the age of 5, received her first accolade by winning a first prize in a colouring competition, this must have been what gave her the courage and inspiration, to use and embrace colour, the ability to observe, absorb dimensions and figures to form her own unique “pictures”.
From an early age, art as a school-subject, developed as a passion. In Grade 7 (Std. 5) as well as Grade 12 (Std.10), tutors referred a talented Victoria, to the School of Arts in Johannesburg, but her parents refused that their eldest should go to boarding school. Victoria matriculated in 1980 at Roodepoort High School with flying colours, several accolades, of which a distinction in Art ensured a scholarship to study a Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Johannesburg. But life had other plans…..
Victoria executed a pragmatic choice which led to a longstanding career in the financial and corporate environment.
During her tenure as working-mom, Victoria never let go of her passion for colour-use which made her to often revisit the joy, fascination and expression her inner feelings visually with the use of line and colour. Towards the end of her working career and with the boys becoming more independent, Victoria took up a refresher in drawing with Marcell Pestana in Roodepoort. This followed with experimentation in various mediums like, Indian ink, Ink, Acryl and Oil and at times, Pewter. A combination of these elements often used in juxtaposition with one another within a work. However, with the mentoring of Alida and Gerrit Pitout (professional artists and renowned photographers for more than 30 years with Gerrit presenting an Art talk show on RSG) led to simpler but bolder works.
Since the refresher in 2006 and with the insistence of husband Ras, the two grown sons and numerous friends, Victoria re-thinked her career. These thoughts together with everybody’s support inevitably altered the direction of their lives. The decision to exchange the pen for the brush led to moving to Parys. Victoria’s work gained momentum with the exposure to the public by way of exhibitions in Potchefstroom, Thabazimbi, Mbobela (Nelspruit) and the opportunity of continuing Gallery 47.

Experience and passion makes Victoria believe that a single line and fearless use of colour, speaks volumes and brings music to the heart. Weather a still-life, portrait or landscape fills the canvas, Victoria’s painting style never fail to inspire.
Her style has been assimilated to abstract expressionism and added to that a good dosage of playful automation (surrealism).