Anzell Jordaan

In Bloom

Awakening I, watercolor and graphite, 2007, 10" x 6"

May 14-June 12, 2010
Opening Reception Friday, May 14, 5-7pm

An exhibition of botanical illustrations by Anzell Jordaan will be on view in AVA Gallery and Art Center's Rebecca Lawrence Gallery Entry from May 14-June 12, 2010. A reception, free and open to the public, will take place on Friday, May 14, from 5 to 7pm.

Anzell Jordaan, of Hanover, NH, completed her BFA in graphic design at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and furthered her studies in illustration at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa. The recipient of numerous awards, she has had many exhibitions in South Africa; she has also exhibited her illustrations throughout the Upper Valley, including a Picture Books group show at Spheris Gallery in Hanover, NH and the 2008 Annual Juried Summer Exhibition at AVA Gallery and Art Center. Jordaan also has works in the permanent collection at the African Window Museum in Pretoria, South Africa, and was part of the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition, which traveled from Italy to both Japan and Korea. Jordaan is on the faculty at AVA Gallery and Art Center and teaches illustration.

For her exhibition at AVA, In Bloom, Jordaan will be exhibiting a series of botanical illustrations inspired by the indigenous Protea genus of the Western Cape Region in South Africa. The largest and most beautiful is South Africa's national flower, the King Protea, known for its pink velvet-like leaves. Jordaan's exhibition will include both representational illustrations on paper and deconstructed works on wood panel that aim to expose the "scaffolding" of the Protea flowers. These works embody the love for a country that has multiple faces and continues to evolve. Jordaan will also exhibit two series of lush watercolor and graphite orchid illustrations.