Artist Biography
Juanita Osthuizen was born in Calvinia, South Africa and grew up in the Cape platteland. From an early age she experimented creatively with paper, cloth and plastic – questioning, directing, observing – never settling for that which she found aesthetically displeasing.
In the 1990s she joined a corporate gifts company and was responsible for their packaging design. During this time, and after a visit to Europe, she discovered sheet polypropylene and used it successfully in packaging.
In 1998 she started her own company – Pepper Plum Designs – manufacturing and designing for the corporate and retail markets using mainly PVC and sheet polypropylene. Her designs included stationery and household items, and she regularly exhibited new designs and products with Design Indaba.
Since 2013 she has been working as a professional Artist under the name ‘J by Juanita’ and creating minimalist works, capturing time and its experience. Her work is in private collections around the world.
List of Exhibitions:
- Aug 2015 - Young Blood Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
- June 2016 - Interaction, Rust & Vrede Gallery, Durbanville, Cape Town, South Africa
- December 2016 - Is Art Gallery, Franschhoek, South Africa
- December 2016 - Artist Residency at the Zingler Foundation, Elba, Italy
- March 2017 - South African Movies, Woordfees Exhibition, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- June 2017 - Something Red, Young Blood Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
- February 2018 - Interaction/Interaksie, Solo exhibition at Slee Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- November 2018 - Eye of the Beholder, Solo exhibition at Trent Gallery, Pretoria, South Africa
- December 2018 - Small is Great, Group show at Jadite Galleries, New York, USA
- March 2019 - Denke/Thoughts with Johan Steyn at Slee Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- February 2020 - Knoop/Knot Group Show curated by Louis Janse Van Vuuren, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- April 2021 - Prince Albert exhibition with Chris van Niekerk
- December 2021 - Phantasmagoria, RK Contemporary, Riebeek-Kasteel, South Africa
- September 2022 - Broken But Healed, Solo exhibition at Käseholm, Tomelilla, Sweden
- February 2023 - Broken But Healed, Solo exhibition at Rossouw Modern Art Gallery, Hermanus
- May 2023 - Group exhibition at Käseholm, Tomelilla, Sweden
- December 2023 - Small Miracles, RK Contemporary, Riebeek-Kasteel, South Africa
- April 2024 - Exhibit at Paper Positions fair Berlin
Awards:
- 2015 - Joint Winner Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Art Award
- 2018 - Winner Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Art Award
- 2018 - Included in the FNB Joburg Art Fair Top 20 contemporary African artists
