Jan Raats

Winner of the Case Del Arte 2023 Art Prize, Majorca Spain, and a Top 10 Finalist at the Swiss Art Expo in Zurich, Switzerland in 2022.

Be inspired by the high-energy art of award winning artist, Jan Raats.

“I’ve often watched Jan paint in his studio, but its only for a minute or two while we chat about domestic logistics. Being in the hotel room with him while we were hemmed in with the typhoon is an an entirely different experience. The energy in the air changed so much I couldn’t focus on my reading. The concentration, intensity and finer-dashing was exhausting viewing. I held my breath for minutes until he changed colour or finger before dabbing madly again. With different colours on his different fingers his hands moved like old fashioned typists who knew the qwerty keyboard blindfolded. How does he remember which colour is on which finger? It was mesmerising. And when he comes up for air, his eyes refocus to reorientate to a world with a wife in it. Where does he go?

The entertaining aspect is how he settles down or disentangles himself from a wet canvas, a palette with colours escaped from their indentations – to the sides, underneath, his knees, fingers, floor, chair, wrist and occasionally his clothes. The dance to get ...

Johannesburg College of Art

2024 MAA Group Exhibition Platform 62 Ashton

2024 'People and Places' Kupenda Africa Gallery, Montagu

2017 ‘Homeless’ Avo Pomme Gallery, Knysna

2016 ‘Homeless still have dignity’ Knysna Arts Festival, Knysna

2015 ‘Eye Contact’ Knysna Arts Festival, Knysna

2009 ‘Floral Respective’, Zevenwacht Village, Stellenbosch

2008 ‘From Boland to Botswana’, Zevenwacht Village, Stellenbosch

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2023 Casa Del Arte, Majorca, Spain

2022 Art Zurich, Switzerland

2021 ‘Coming Home’ Imibala Gallery, Graaf Reinert

2018 ‘Monochromatic’, Old Goal Gallery, Knysna

2018 ‘Unblocked’, Old Goal Gallery, Knysna

2017 Annual Knysna Art Sociaety Exhibition

2008 Botswana artists of the Year, Thapong Gallery, Gabarone, Botswana

2007 ‘Art from the Heart’ ARTSCAPE; Cape Town.

2007 ‘Landscapes from my Heart’ ARTSCAPE; Cape Town.