SHORT BIO
Elfriede Dreyer is a South African conceptual artist working intermedially in various physical and digital media. She held several solos (SA and France) and participated in group exhibitions at major galleries, museums, universities and art festivals. Her work has been taken up in the public collections of UP, Unisa, Telkom, the DBSA, FNB and various private collections.
After 25 years of full-time teaching at the University of Pretoria and Unisa, she has been affiliated with Unisa as an Extraordinary Professor of Art since 2015.
She is internationally known as a curator and her publications appeared in local and internal academic journals and books, leading to NRF rating.
Besides adjudicating at the national competitions such as the Absa l'Atelier, the Sasol New Signatures and the Portrait Award, she is Vice-President of the South African National Association for Visual Arts.
She founded the CAP Institute for Contemporary Art Practice in 2015 though which she mentors almost 100 artists by way of physical workshops and online art courses.
In 2005 she founded Fried Contemporary Gallery in Pretoria which was sold as a going concern in 2014 and was listed as one of the top ten galleries in the country.
Full Curriculum Vitae | Media | Citations
CONTACT DETAILS: Contact details: +27 83 2712342 elfriede.dreyer@gmail.com
Career
Current (since 2015): Extraordinary Professor, Department of Art and Music, University of South Africa
Current: External examiner for Universities of Johannesburg, Free State and Stellenbosch; Tshwane University of Technology
Current (since 2012): Rated as C2 researcher, National Research Foundation of South Africa
Current (since 1996): Freelance and institutional curator at several museums and galleries (South Africa and Belgium)
2019: Museum scientist for the Art Bank of South Africa
2014-2015: Academic Dean, Open Window Institute
2005-2014: Founder & Curator, Fried Contemporary Art Gallery & Studio, Pretoria
2003-2014: Senior Lecturer – Full Professor, Department of Visual Arts, University of Pretoria
1990-2003: Full-time lecturing, Department of Art and Music, University of South Africa
Postgraduate Bursaries: 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1988, 1989-1997, Universities of South Africa and Pretoria
Funding and Grants: Absa Bank (several), Standard Bank, National Research Foundation (several), Development Bank of Southern Africa (two), Royal Academy of Arts, Antwerp, National Library of South Africa
I source, conceptualise and install artworks for galleries, museums, corporates, embassies, private homes and art festivals
I provide advice and inspection reports, as well as art brokering and acquisition advice to art collectors.
Interests
Contemporary Art, Utopian Studies, Place And Utopia, Dystopia, Techno-Utopia, Curatorial Practice, African Studies
Online references
Qualifications
International Diploma in Interactive Multimedia (media-gn, Frank Mohr Institute, Groningen), 1996
MA (Fine Arts) (Unisa) 1988-1992. Title of dissertation: A hermeneutic investigation of the ‘parergon’ in artmaking with special reference to Anselm Kiefer
BA (Fine Arts) (Unisa) 1981-1987. Majors: Painting (mixed media) and Art History.
Teachers Licentiate in Piano (UP), 1976-1978
Postgraduate Higher Education Diploma (HED) (UP), 1974
BA (UP) 1970-73. Majors: Afrikaans, French, Philosophy
Nationally and internationally my artworks have been exhibited at major gallery, museums, universities and art festivals
My work has been taken up in major art collections of the University of Pretoria; Unisa; Telkom; the DBSA; FNB; and various private collections
I was a Finalist in most of the SA national competitions, including the Brett Kebble Award; and I held solo exhibitions in Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Paris and Oudtshoorn
Community
Current (since 2015): Founded CAP Institute for Contemporary Art Practice offering workshops, online Short Courses and an online Certificate in Contemporary Art Practice to emerging and established artists
Current: Vice-President of SANAVA (South African National Association for the Visual Arts)
2005: Founded Fried Contemporary Art Gallery in Pretoria in 2005, together with Charles Gijzelaar as partner, which I curated and managed until 2014 when it was sold to new owners and it subsequently closed in 2018. This gallery was known as the flagship contemporary space north of Johannesburg
I adjudicate at most of the national competitions such Absa l'Atelier, Sasol New Signatures, The Sanlam Portrait Award and others