Hannalie Taute’s work is in a constant state of evolution, which mirrors many of the ideas behind her art. Her process is methodical and laborious, and the artwork depicts moments in time. She juxtaposes delicate cotton thread with industrial discarded inner tubes by embroidering a variety of cultural masks and replacing the faces in found photographs, in order to create a violent disruption of the familiar in an unfamiliar setting.
The coarseness of the rubber is counteracted by the delicacy of the thread, but this is subverted, as often the stitching and composition of the rubber inner tubes are delicate, and the thread seems almost rough in its arrangement. The resulting organized chaos resembles our daily lives and external influences. Especially during this mask-wearing era during the pandemic. One central theme, or unifying characteristic, is the repeated exploration of identity and/or relationships within her “paracosmic fantasy”. This so-called “paracosm” is a way in which the artist position herself in the real world. Taute explores the paracosmic fantasy by means in which people often have many and sometimes conflicting identities to which they answer. “Art is some sort of interesting area where dysfunction is allowed.” *Quote by Mike Kelly
This is perhaps most striking in her more recent work from late the 2020’s, an ongoing series ranging from ceremonial masks and wedding photographs to, groups or individual mask wearing personae. Fairy-tale fantasy -like creatures and monsters find their way to a variety of photographed portraits as well as larger prints made from small vintage photos with faces replaced by a variety of cultural masks embroidered on rubber. Hannalie wants the medium of the piece to interact with the subject manner in a way that forces the viewer to deeply engage and question the artworks, and she aims to create a moment of respite from the chaos while simultaneously illustrating it.
Information sourced from Hannalie Taute’s official website
2021
“Eucatastrophe”, Deepest Darkest Art Gallery, Cape Town, SOLO
“The threads that bind us”, The Viewing Room Gallery, Pretoria
2020
Solo exhibition at MContemporary gallery in Sydney, Australia, SOLO
“No Holds Barred”, Summer Exhibition, RK Contemporary
“A Part/Apart”, ArtB Gallery, Bellville curated by Laurette de Jager
“Women Who Read Are Dangerous”, curated by Hamlin Janse van Vuuren at Rust en Vrede gallery
“Wild, Wild Life”, curated by Alex Hamilton for Gallery at Glen Carlou, South Africa
2019
“Familie Kielie”, 99 Loop gallery, Cape Town, SOLO
“Selectors choice”, Knysna Fine Art, Knysna
“Domestic Craft”, curated by Nicole O’Loughlin, Hobart Tasmania.
Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, represented by MContemporary, Australia
Turbine Art Fair, represented by Millennium Gallery, Gauteng
“Heroine”, at MContemporary, Sydney, Australia
“Forward, Forward? Forward!, US Museum, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2018
“Minutes to Midnight”, 99 Loop gallery, Cape Town, SOLO
“Black Humor”, Fried Contemporary Gallery, Pretoria
“Bank001: “Emerging Contemporaries, curated by Brenton Maart and Sally Shorkend, at In Toto Gallery, Johannesburg
“Unfolding Fibre”, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria, South Africa
“Well worn” Cavalli Estate Gallery, Somerset-West, South Africa
2017
“Come Hell or High water”, Lizamore & Associates, Johannesburg, SOLO
“Incognito”, MContemporary, Australia, SOLO
“Comfortably Numb” Gallery 2, JHB. Curated by Johan Conradie
Textile Biennial, Museum Rijswijk, Netherlands
“Stitched- part 1” Paradigm Studio and Gallery, Philadelphia, USA
“At the End of the World” MContemporary, Australia
“Bosch in Africa” at Stellenbosch Woordfees, curated by Sandra Hanekom
“To see the forest for the trees”, Woordfees, curated by Alex Hamilton
2016
“Implanted memories”, Knysna Fine Art, Knysna, SOLO
“The Grimm Needle”, Fried Contemporary, Pretoria, SOLO
“Stink Afrikaners”, US Woordfees, Stellenbosch, SOLO
“Alteration” 99 Loop Gallery, Cape Town
“Desire” curated by Johan Conradie, Association of Arts,Pretoria
“100 Geographies” curated by Elizabeth Miller-Vermeulen, University of Stellenbosch Museum
“Winter group exhibition”, 99 Loop gallery, Cape Town
“Huisgenoot, Hartgenoot, Kultuurgenoot” curated by Sandra Hanekom, KKNK, Oudtshoorn
Cape Town Art Fair, Erdmann Contemporary booth, Cape Town
2015
“Cross my heart”, Erdmann Contemporary Gallery, Cape Town, SOLO
“Form and substance” Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town
“Kunstenaar as outeur” Curated by Corlie de Kock, KKNK, Oudtshoorn
“Princess in the Veld” curated by Adele Adendorff, KKNK, Oudtshoorn
“B.Y.O.I.D”, Knysna Fine art, Knysna
2014
“Rubber Ever After”, KKNK art festival, Oudtshoorn, South Africa, SOLO
“PLAY” at Nirox sculpture park, Krugersdorp. Curated by Jayne Crawshay-Hall, Maaike Bakker and Isabel Mertz
“Flippen Vlambaar/Freakin’ Flammable” at PArt (Prince Albert Art Festival) Curated by Alex Hamilton
“Kingdom” at Equus Gallery, Cape Town. Curated by Carina du Randt
“Industrial Karoo- Fear and Loss” at the Reservoir Gallery, Bloemfontein, Curated by Katie Barnard du Toit
“Actuality and Illusion” at Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town
2013
“Zoo”, at NiroxProjects, Johannesburg
“Mega Mash-up, at Alex Hamilton Art Studio, Cape Town
“Summer Group Exhibition, at Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town
“Ekhuruleni Thami Mnyele Art Competition”, top 100 at Coen Scholtz centre, Kempton Park
“Morality Monkeys” at D-Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, curated by Aidon Westcott
“Alice in Wonderland” at Longstreet Art Lovers 1932, curated by Gordon Froud “Prototype” at D-Street Gallery, Stellenbosch. Curated by Aidon Westcott
“The Shining Girls for Rape Crisis” charity exhibition curated by Jacki Lang & Lauren Beukes
“Mash-up: Type” curated by Alex Hamilton at the Alex Hamilton Studio
“Tom Waits for No Man” traveling exhibition curated by Gordon Froud
“Fried Autumn Art Fair” at Fried Contemporary, Pretoria
“Bacchanalia to Festivalis” at theArtBusiness, Piketberg (curated by Sandra Hanekom)
2012
“From Genre to Manifesto” curated by Sandra Hanekom @ The Art Business Gallery, Piketberg
“A New Chapter” at PArt (Prince Albert Art festival)
“Flesh” curated by Aidon Westcott. @ The Art Business Gallery, Piketberg
Invited by the CCDI to show my “Lobotoy-me” project/products at their stand at the Design Indaba Cape Town.
2011
“Skeidingsangs”, KKNK festival, Oudtshoorn, SOLO
2010
“Van-gaurd winelands show, curated by Gerhi Janse van Vuuren- an initiative of VANSA.
2009
“No strings attached”, Knysna Fine Art Gallery, Knysna
“Dark side of the moon” @ UCA Gallery, Observatory, Cape Town
“The tattoo show” at Knysna Fine Art, Knysna
2008
“Cut to fit”, KKNK festival, Oudtshoorn
The postcard show @ Off the Wall Contemporary Gallery, Paarl
Group exhibition at Knysna Fine Art, Knysna
2007
“Shelf Life” – (curated by Belinda Blignaut) An Installation @ Cite, Knysna Fine Art, Knysna
“Flesh” (curated by Chris Diedericks), KKNK festival, Oudtshoorn
2004
“Siembamba, let’s play pretend”, Joao Ferreira Gallery, Cape Town
“Cutting Edge”, Knysna Fine Art, Knysna
ABSA L’ Atelier competition, Johannesburg
2003
“Siembamba, the toys are us”, Knysna Fine Art, Knysna
“What is Life?” Competition, S.A National Museum, Cape Town.
“Corpus Delicti”, KKNK. Oudtshoorn
2002
“Uncomfortable”, Grahamstown Festival, Grahamstown.
“Atelier 4”, KKNK, Oudtshoorn
AWARDS
2014
Kanna award for best visual art production at the ABSA KKNK 2014 art festival.
2012
Nominated for KykNet Fiesta Award (category:best Visual Art production at an art festival in 2011): for “Skeidingsangs” exhibition at the KKNK Festival
2004
Absa L’Atelier Competition, Top 100 Finalist
PUBLICATIONS:
2020
Textile Fibre Forum Magazine feature, ArtWearPublications, Magazine 139
2019
Dr. Theo Sonnekus, “Against Ordentlikheid Disobedient Femininities in Selected Embroideries by Hannalie Taute’ De Arte journal
2016
Herman Lategan, “US Woordfees 2016: Die tong, Litnet
Olisa Corcoran, “Inspired to stitch”, MrXStitch
2015
Heidi Erdmann, “Hannalie Taute’s love affair with rubber” Dante magazine Dec/Jan
2014
Alexander Matthews, “Art spot: Rubber ever after”, June 2014
2013
Online catalogue designed by Neil Nieuwoudt, “Hannalie Taute 2013 Catalogue”
2012
Janine Oelofse, “Toys from tyres” Limelight feature in “South” magazine, Winter 2
2009
Timothy Twindle “Exhibition about relationships” Weekend Post (EP Herald) 9 December
2008
Laetitia Pople, ‘Kuns op KKNK bekyk geslagsrolle’, Die Burger 25 April 2008.
Tisha Steyn, ‘Taute pas nie in patroon’, Die Burger 7 Mei 2008.
2005
Renee Holleman, “Siembamba let’s play pretend, Artthrob review, February 2005
2004
Theo Kleynhans, ‘Speelgoed maak bang’, Die Burger: 8 November 04.
2002
Haddad Viljoen, ‘n Labirint van vrouwees’, KKNK Festival Newspaper
Hannalie Taute (b. 1977) started her life’s journey in a small town called Fochville in Gauteng, South Africa. In 2000, she obtained a National Higher Diploma in Fine Art at PE Technicon (now the NNMU). Nine years ago, she started working with rubber and particularly repurposed rubber inner-tubes, and in 2012 she added embroidery to her list of preferred media. Her first solo exhibition called Siembamba – let’s play pretend in 2004 was held at the João Ferreira Gallery in Cape Town, and since then, she was part of several group and solo exhibitions. Her upcoming solo exhibition is scheduled for 17 April 2021, with Deepest Darkest Art Gallery in Cape Town.
Taute was a finalist in 2004 for the ABSA l’Atelier exhibition and a nominee for the Fiesta awards in 2012, 2015 and 2017. She received the Kanna Award for best visual art production at the 2014 KKNK Arts Festival for her solo exhibition called Rubber ever after. In 2017 she represented South Africa at the Museum Rijswijk Textile Biennale in the Netherlands. Her work is part of various private collections as well as the academic collection of UNISA.
Hannalie Taute currently resides and works in Riversdale in the Western Cape.
Information sourced from Hannalie Taute’s official website