My studio space, Graaff-Reinet

A corner of the studio

Born 18 April 1954, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. I studied printmaking and book illustration at the Port Elizabeth Technicon in 1976 and graduated with an HND (distinction) in 1980. Worked briefly in advertising and was later commissioned as a freelance book illustrator for Heinemann and Macmillan Educational Publishers. In 2008, presented a printmaking workshop at the KV Art School, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Work predominantly in woodcut & linocut printmaking, but also in charcoal drawing & mixed media.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:

1986-1991 'Annual International Exhibition of Miniature Art’, Del Bello Gallery, Toronto, Canada.

1991 Solo Exhibition, Eastern Province Society of Arts & Crafts Gallery, St. Georges Park, Port Elizabeth (later renamed ArtEC).

2007 Printmaking Exhibition', Eastern Province Society of Arts & Crafts Gallery, Bird Street, Port Elizabeth (later renamed ArtEC).

2008 South African Exhibition’, selected artists from the Eastern Cape, Frolunda Kulturhus, Gothenburg, Sweden.

2010 'Creative Diversity’', selected artists from the Eastern Cape, William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley.

2010 'Art and Artists of the Eastern Cape’, Athenaeum, Port Elizabeth.

2011 Solo Exhibition, ArtEC Gallery, Port Elizabeth.

2012 'Big Cape Rollers’, selected artists/printmakers from the Western and Eastern Cape, Rust en Vrede Gallery, Cape Town.

2012 'Printmaking 2012’, an exhibition of Contemporary Art Prints, Sandton Art Gallery, Johannesburg (to co-inside with the FNB Joburg Art Fair).

2012 'Large Works', Athenaeum, Port Elizabeth.

2013 Solo Exhibition, Ron Belling Art Gallery (GFI Art Gallery), Port Elizabeth.

2013 'Botanical Prints 2013’, SA Print Gallery, Cape Town.

2013 'Official 95 International Mandela Poster Collective’ (a national & international travelling exhibition).

2013 'Alice in Wonderland', curated by Gordon Froud, Art Lovers Gallery, Pretoria.

2014 'Wish You Were Here', Athenaeum, Port Elizabeth.

2014 'Wish You Were Here', Standard Bank Art’s Festival, Grahamstown.

2016 'Must Rise', an ArtEC Gallery collective exhibition, Standard Bank Art’s Festival, Grahamstown.

2017 'Eastern Cape Emergence', art it is Gallery, Parkwood, Johannesburg.

2017 'Truth Be Told', ArtEC Gallery, Port Elizabeth (an exhibition sponsored by the Regional Department of Arts & Culture).

2018 'Intsingiselo-The Meaning', ArtEC Gallery, Port Elizabeth (an exhibition sponsored by the Regional Department of Arts & Culture).

2018 'Rethinking Boundaries', Priest Gallery, Johannesburg, in collaboration with ArtEC Gallery, Port Elizabeth.

2018 'Contested Spaces' (a permanent exhibition from the WHAG collection, dedicated to the struggle), William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley.

2018 'Adjusting The Picture, 1918-2018, A Century Of Art In The City', Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum.

2019 'Through Our Eyes: Journey to America', Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum (a cultural exchange exhibition of selected work to travel to Jacksonville, USA).

2021 'Through Our Eyes: Journey to America', Ritz Theatre & Museum, Jacksonville, Florida, USA (a cultural exchange exhibition of selected work celebrating the 20^th Anniversary of the twinning of City of Jacksonville, USA & Nelson MandelaBay).

2022 'After the Rain', a group exhibition of selected artists curated by Sammy Muller, Johann van Heerden Art Gallery, Pretoria.

MEDIA EXPOSURE:

1991 Eastern Province Herald, 'Alan Grobler's first one-man exhibition opens...',by Elizabeth Y. Foster.

2000-2003 Algoa Sun Newspaper, (Jonnic Publishers), 'Sunbeam Corner for the Younger Set, story and Illustration by Alan Grobler'.

2007 Eastern Province Herald, 'Powerful exhibition of contemporary artists',by Kin Bentley.

2008 Looking Back; Vol. 47, a publication of the Port Elizabeth Historical Society, 'Frank Pickford Marriott, A Post Pre-Raphaelite, 1871-1935’, (a research article).

2011 Eastern Province Herald, ‘Exhibition looks at people and their relationship with Urban Freeways', by Nomahlubi Jordaan.

2011 Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), Port Elizabeth,‘208 East Cape Artists’, an illustrated compilation of artists representing the Eastern Cape, by Helene Theron (the publication co-incided with a launch of the exhibition,'Art and Artists of the Eastern Cape’, held at the Athenaeum, Port Elizabeth.

2012 SA Art Times (May issue), printmaking feature.

2013 Eastern Province Herald - ArtScene, 'Artist casts spotlight on Bay architecture', by Lee Meyer.

2013 Elle Decoration, 'Mandela Day: ‘67 WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD’.

2014 INFOCOM quarter 1, Nelson Mandela Bay BusinessChamber, a Q&A arist's profile,‘Wish You Were Here’ exhibition.

2014 Interpak Books, ‘Bible Mission in Africa’, by Bob Wielenga.

2014 Carolina Academic Press, University of Austin, Texas, USA, 'Tributes To A Global Icon', edited by Toyin Falola.

2014 Eastern Province Herald, 'Art Imitates Bay Life – Athenaeum to host major exhibition', by Riaan Marais.

2015 Die Burger, Kuns en Vermaak, 'Humphreys-galery koop werke van Grobler aan', deur Willemien Green.

2017 In Your Pocket, Eastern Cape Emergence, Johannesburg.

2020 Die Burger, Kuns en Vermaak, 'Kunstenaar gebruik nou houdskool as medium oor artritis en besering', deur Willemien Green.

2021 Amazon & Inspiration for Writers, Inc., 'In The Midst, A Covid-19 Anthology' by Sandy Tritt, (an international publication including artwork, prose & poetry from 100 selected entries worldwide).

2021 Die Burger, Kuns en Vermaak, 'O-Kapenaar se kuns spog internationaal, Kunswerk oor Covid-19 is bundel se voorblad', deur Willemien Green.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS:

2013 'Home is where the Heart is' a fundraiser exhibition organised by TAFTA (The Association For The Aged), ArtSPACE, Durban.

2013 'Dianne Victor Benefit Auction', Strauss & Co, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg.

2018 'Forget Me Not', an exhibition of Fine Art responding to Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease in collaboration with the Eastern Cape Region of Alzheimer's South Africa, GFI Gallery, Port Elizabeth.

AWARDS:

2014 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Sponsor Choice Award & Radison Blu Sponsor Award, 'Wish You Were Here' (a selector’s traveling exhibition).

2017 Sponsor Award, presented by the Regional Department of Arts & Culture, (recipient for work submitted towards a group exhibition 'Truth Be Told'), ArtEC Gallery, Port Elizabeth.

2018 Sponsor Award presented by the Regional Department of Arts & Culture,(recipient for work submitted towards a group exhibition 'Intsingiselo-The Meaning', ArtEC Gallery, Port Elizabeth.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Port Elizabeth

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth.

William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley.