Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate, Franschhoek, is proud to present ‘Portraits – A Safe Place’ by Leon Vermeulen on 16 February 2014 in The Gallery. Also on display will be new work by contemporary jewellery designer, Ilse Malan, in The Shop for the duration of the exhibition.

Leon was born and matriculated in Knysna and went on to study a BA in Fine Arts and later received a BA Honours at the University of Stellenbosch. Since then, Leon has been involved in multiple solo and group exhibitions across South Africa. “He has been working with the male body for many years and gives art lovers access to beautifully sensuous, yet restrained spaces.” – Marlene Dumas.

Comments Curator, Trent Read: “Vermeulen paints. That might be a truism but that is what he does and does so very well indeed. He daily navigates those dangerous and uncharted waters between the Scylla of the ‘real’ and the Charybdis of paint in what is, I believe, the supreme task of the painter – that of making flesh out of pigment and the granting of a kind of immortality to those he selects as subjects.”

The Shop boasts the new Worlds Apart book, showcasing all 3 of The Huka Retreats properties, Grande Provence in South Africa, Huka Lodge in New Zealand and Dolphin Island in Fiji.

For further information or a preview please contact The Gallery at Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 021 876 8630

The Gallery is open from Monday to Sunday, from 10h00 until 18h00.

This press release was distributed on behalf of our client, Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate.