Ingrid Uys (b. 1985, BA Fine Arts, University of Pretoria)
Ingrid Uys was born in 1985 in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, and currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband, two daughters and son. Growing up in small towns like Ermelo, Kroonstad, Clarens, and Harrismith, she spent most of her childhood days painting and drawing the world around her. Her exposure to nature, open spaces, different places and people nurtured a curiosity in the world around her, and making drawings and paintings has always been a way to collect those moments and memories, expressing herself and her thoughts.
After years of art classes in different studios in different towns, Ingrid completed her BA Fine Art Degree in 2007 at the University of Pretoria, specializing in oil painting under the tutelage of among others, Diane Victor, Philip Badenhorst, and Rina Stutzer. Ingrid had her first solo exhibition in 2016 at Halifax Art Gallery in Johannesburg, This Fleeting Forever, with Diane Victor as the opening speaker. She has been part of numerous exhibitions since then, solo, duo and group shows at various spaces. Ingrid had an incredible first show at Turbine Art Fair 2018 with the White River Gallery, and since then has exhibited at TAF for six consecutive years with 2022 being a solo exhibition, In the calm of chaos, a collection of which all work sold out. Her solo exhibition at Aardklop in 2022, curated by Dineke Ortman, titled Fladder got her a nomination for best achievement in visual art in South Africa at the 2023 Fiësta Awards.
Ingrid’s work is currently part of numerous collections of note, including RMB, Kilbourn collection, Amazon and Spier Arts Trust. She has become known for her detailed and layered paintings and drawings depicting birds in flight. This series of works has developed significantly and reached new depth as she explored her interpretation of fleeting time and impermanence, a major theme in her work. Her most recent collections focus on various bird species, moths/butterflies, Spring and Autumn foliage, water and waterlilies as a metaphor for "preservation” and “fragility”.
The White River Gallery has hosted two solo exhibitions for Ingrid entitled, This Fleeting Forever in 2016 and A Fragile Whisper in 2020 respectively. Her solo exhibition titled Divine Symmetry in 2024 at Candice Berman Gallery sold out.
"By placing the viewer beneath the water, I aim to create a sense of both isolation and connection. The viewer becomes an observer of the unseen, as if peering into a submerged world where everything is in flux, shifting with the tides of life. The water’s mysteries invite us to reflect on the hidden aspects of ourselves, our relationships, and the invisible forces that shape our lives. It’s a celebration of the unknown, the forgotten, and the ever-moving nature of existence.” - Ingrid Uys
