ANDREW MOGRIDGE (b. 1969)

Born and bred in the Eastern Cape. I attended Selborne College and went on to study an undergraduate diploma in Graphic Design at the Port Elizabeth Technikon.

I then went on to do a honours degree at Walter Sisulu University where I majored in painting for which I obtained a distinction, after which I was offered a lecturing position at Walter Sisulu University. NHD, Cum Laude

Subsequently I went on to become the Creative Director at an advertising agency, after which I opened my own design studio.

Currently I am a full-time fine artist specialising in ceramics and painting, my work is exhibited in some of the most respected art galleries in the country.

Artists Statement

I embrace the absurd and value the power of impulse over preconception. With the help of acerbic humour, I explore themes of power, violence, and the farce of authority.

My process is characterised by an approach that invites the unexpected and takes full advantage of unhappy accidents. Using titles and phrases I attempt to satisfy our innate craving for meaning. Words, no matter how banal or disfigured, are comforting and familiar. 

As a multimedia artist, I play to the strengths of each medium. The immediacy of drawing, the directness of painting, the iteration and editioning of printmaking and the temporality of film and music. Canvas rots, paper fades, and music falls out of fashion. 

As a medium, ceramics has one notable property, that of durability.  Each piece has the potential to last a few thousand years by which time the ideas of ownership or provenance are lost and meaning itself loses traction to history.

Because of the pots three dimensionality the full story doesn’t unfold without a full rotation and at all times there is quite literally another side to the story. As the pot is rotated there is a temporality that is shared with other media such as film or music.

The graphic nature and the highly activated surfaces of my work are, more than likely, the result of having worked in advertising for 20 years. Advertisers demand high impact. The ads themselves are visual hammers, blunt instruments in the service of consumption. “How can I help?

Exhibitions:

People Places & Perspectives: Group, A Selection Of Eastern Cape Artists,1994

The Pigs’ Wing Journal: Dissertation, Ann Bryant Gallery East London, 1995

Eastern Cape Dept of Arts & Culture: Group, Grahamstown, 1996

Volkskas Atelier: Final, 1996

Volkskas Atelier: Final, 1997

Volkskas Atelier: Final, 1998

Land History Self: Group, Standard Bank Arts Festival: Curated Dakawa, 1998

The Root Of All Evil: Solo, Standard Bank Arts Festival, 1999

Scar: Group, Thomas Art Consultancy East London, 1999

ABSA Bank Atelier: Final, 1999

9th International Print & Drawing Exhibition: Taiwan, 1999

Address Redress: Group, Print Collaboration, Grahamstown Arts Festival, 1999

Art & Articulation: Group, 2000

ABSA Bank Atelier: Final, 2000

ABSA Bank Atelier: Final, 2001

Corpus: Group, Art.B Gallery, 2001

ABSA Bank Atelier: Final, 2002

Koester Exhibition: Group, Durbanville, 2002

Clu: Solo, Art B, Belville, 2002

Nedbank Cinema Nouveau: Group, Cape Town, 2002

Salted Lines: Group, Impact International Printmaking Conference, Taiwan, 2004

Off the Wall: Group, Comic / Illustration, Durban, 2007

African Angels: Group, East London, 2008

Mostly Harmless: Group, East London, 2009

Recession, What Recession?: Group, East London, 2009

The Guava Chronicles: Institute of Creative Technology, 2011

The Buffalo Citizen: Collaboration with Jeff Rankin, Grahamstown Arts Festival, 2012

Beyond Skin: Group, The Art Business. Piketberg, 2012

Absa Vuka Festival : Group, East London, 2013

The Most Dangerous Kind: Solo, Smartt Road Gallery, 2015

Ego I Go:  Zulu Lulu Gallery, Durban 2016 

Playgrounds: Group, Moor Gallery, 2017

When In Doubt: CVD Gallery, 2018

Music by 300 Strangers: Collaborative music project, Online,  2020

Iris: short film, 2020

Home is Where the Art is: Group, Zeits MOCCA 2020

New Beginnings: Group, The Gallery Grande Provence, 2021 

Ceramics South Africa: Group, Eastern Cape Regionals, Merit, 2021

True Fall: Group, The Gallery Grande Provence, 2022

unStable: Group, Stowe & So Gallery, Grahamstown 2022 

Achromatica: Group, RK Contemporary, 2022

Celebrating 75 Years: Group, Ann Bryant Art Gallery, 2022

National Arts Festival: Group, 2022

Tricolore: Group, The Gallery Grande Provence, 2022

Blue: Group, RK Contemporary, 2022 

Ceramics South Africa: Group, Corobrik Biennale 2022

Ceramics South Africa: Group, Eastern Cape Regionals, 2022

Lush: Group, RK Contemporary, 2022

Linked Emotions: Group, Limani Gallery, 2022

Seeing Far: Group, Knysna Fine Art, 2022

Rugby: Group, Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, 2023

Chintsa Contemporary: Group, 2023

The Gallery at Steyn City: Group, 2023

Umtiza Arts Festival: Group, 2023

Earth, Wind & Fire: Group, Hermanus FynArts, 2023

DayDreaming: Group, Gallery at Glen Carlou, 2023

Turbine Art Fair: Group, Represented by RK Contemporary, 2023

Vuleka: Group, Art.B Gallery (3rd Prize Winner), 2023

Solo Studios: Group, RK Contemporary, 2023

Harmony in Diversity: Group, Limani Gallery, 2023

CeraMix: Group, Art.B Gallery, 2023

25th Anniversary: Group, Knysna Fine Art, 2023

Blooms & Brushstrokes: Group, Bass Property Group, 2023

Zoo: Group, Gallery at Glen Carlou, 2023