- by Alexa Anthony
South African-born artist Ira van der Merwe is a woman with many stories to tell. The embodiment of creativity and education, she lives to learn, encourage, repurpose and create.
After obtaining her first qualification from the University of Pretoria in 2002 in Arts Education, Ira pursued a career in teaching art and subsequently obtained an Honours degree in Art History from the University of South Africa in 2012. Her years as resident art teacher at Willowridge High firmly cemented her call to educate and she has since sought out every opportunity to teach, assist and facilitate, be it as volunteer or employee.
Most of her adventures and stories are the result of being half-Dutch and being wife to a traveling engineer-cum-academic. The challenges of ex-pat living are, however, bravely faced with a dash of humour and a can-do-attitude.
Ira’s current artworks are deeply soulful renderings of African animals. A recent addition is Swiss animals where she endeavours to make the alpine country her home. With the vivid similitude she achieves you cannot help but stretch out a finger to test the rough textures of kudu and buffalo horns or see if the cow's ears are really as soft as they seem.
She lets your imagination take flight, but she also lets a quietness and calmness settle around you and you find yourself drawn in to look closer. Ira has perfected the art of tracing the joy and sorrow in her subjects’ curves, folds and eyes. The lines and shades of her work communicate an empathetic understanding of chaos and pain. Yet, at the same time, there is always the faintest whisper of hope.
Juig! / Joy! Magazine . Pages 48-50 . July . 2022
Wêreldwyd . Onderneming in die Kollig . 7 Junie . 2022
Wêreldwyd . Find Jou Buffel . 25 May . 2022
Ennetbadener Post . Page 14 . Nr. 3 . July . 2018
Rundschau . Page 15 . 14 June . 2018
Aargauer Zeitung . Page 28 . 28 February . 2018
Frauenfelder Woche . Page 18 . 6 December . 2017
Stadt Frauenfeld . Page 49 . 1 December . 2017
Thurgauer Nchrichten . Page 21 . 30 November . 2017
Frauenfelder Woche . Page 32 . 29 November . 2017
Salon d'art Contemporain . MAG . Page 150 . 2017
Anzeiger von Uster . Regio . Page 9 . 23 November . 2017
House & Garden – The Art Edit . Page 145 . August . 2017
House & Garden – The Art Edit . Page 145 . July . 2017
Bündner Nachrichten . Page 8 . 19 May . 2017
House & Garden – The Art Edit . Page 281 . June . 2017
Boesner . Page 55 . 2016/17
Bregitte . Page 2 . October .2016
Anzeiger Bezirk Affoltern . 16 May . 2016
The Diplomat . 26 April . 2016
Seesichtmagazin, Nr. 1 March/April .2016
Zolliker Bote . 13 October . 2015
Anzeiger Bezirk Affoltern . 27 May . 2015
Zolliker Bote . 10 October . 2014
Anzeiger Bezirk Affoltern . 20 June . 2014
Zolliker Bote . 4 March . 2014
art333 . Group Exhibition . Zurich . Switzerland . 2020
Goldbachcenter. Duo . Zurich . Switzerland . 2019
Atelier Galerie Ira van der Merwe . Group Exh. II . Baden. Switzerland . 2019
Atelier Galerie Ira van der Merwe . Group Exh. I . Baden. Switzerland . 2019
Atelier Galerie Ira van der Merwe . Solo . Baden. Switzerland . 2018
KIT-Galerie . Solo . Ennetbaden . Switzerland . 2018
Kunst in Spreitenbach . Duo . Spreitenbach . Switzerland . 2018
Galerie Baliere . Duo . Frauenfeld . Switzerland . 2017
Salon d'art Contemporain . Art Fair . Montreux . Switzerland .
2017
Villa Meier-Severini . Group Exhibition . Zurich . Switzerland . 2017
Galerie Obertor . Duo . Chur . Switzerland . 2017
KunstAusleih . Group Exhibition . Zollikon . Switzerland . 2016
Gallerie Loeffel . Solo Exhibition . Basel . Switzerland . 2016
KunstAusleih . Group Exhibition . Zug . Switzerland . 2016
Galerie Patries van Dorst . Group Exhibition . The Hague . NL . 2016
Gallerie, Loeffel . Solo Exhibition . Basel . Switzerland . 2016
Art333 . Group Exhibition . Switzerland . 2016
Junction . Group Exhibition . Zurich . Switzerland . 2016
Gallerie, Loeffel . Solo Exhibition . Basel . Switzerland . 2015
KunstAusleih . Group Exhibition . Zollikon . Switzerland . 2015
KunstAusleih . Group Exhibition . Zug . Switzerland . 2015
KunstAusleih . Group Exhibition . Zollikon . Switzerland . 2014
Galleria Scalia . Solo Exhibition . Baden . Switzerland . 2014
KunstAusleih . Group Exhibition . Zug . Switzerland . 2014
S!NG Exhibition . Stellenbosch . SA . 2010
Shofar Creativity Expo . Durbanville Hills Estate . Cape Town . SA . 2010
Shofar Creativity Expo . University of Pretoria . SA . 2008
UP Annual Student Exhibition . Pretoria . SA . 2002
UP Annual Student Exhibition . Pretoria . SA . 2001
UP Annual Student Exhibition . Pretoria . SA . 2000
Inscape Design Collage Annual Student Exhibition . Pretoria . SA . 1999
Children's Art Workshops . Piemont Ukranian Refugee Center . Pabianice . Jun-Aug . 2022
Arty Birthday Party – Collective Art Workshop . AWIE . Zurich . 2 June . 2017
Ewok Birthday Party Workshop . AWIE . Zurich . 22 October . 2016
Dinner Art Talk . Galerie Patries van Dorst . The Hague . The Netherlands . 18 May . 2016
Star Wars Arty Birthday Party Workshop . AWIE . Zurich . 30 November . 2015
The Voice – Germany . AWIE . Zurich . 8 May . 2015
Art & Society Invited Talk . ICS . Zurich . 22 October . 2014
Gelli Printing Workshop . AWIE . Zurich . 31 January . 2015
Children’s Art - Christmas Fundraiser . Galeria Scalia . Baden . 20-25 December . 2014
Swarovski Team Building . Swarovski HQ . Zurich . 22 November . 2014
New Re – Team Building . AWIE . Zurich . September . 2014
Arty Birthday Party – Multi Media Workshop . 8 April . 2014
Kindergarten Workshop . ICS . Zurich . 2 February . 2014
Creative Spark Invited Talk & Workshop . Tandem . Zurich . 21 January . 2014
ABB – Team Building Workshop . AWIE . Zurich . 20 October . 2013
Jewish Youth Workshop . Jüdische Lib. Gemeinde . Zurich . 21 September . 2013