DISPLAY
- by Kobus Walker
There is something particular about the things we choose to keep.
An object picked up while travelling. A gift from someone close to us. Something inherited and carried forward. Over time, these things become more than objects. They gather associations, memories and personal histories.
It is this idea of collecting that sits at the heart of DISPLAY, Kobus Walker’s upcoming solo exhibition at Art@Africa. Bringing together 19 new works, the exhibition considers objects of affection and the ways in which they can be arranged to create a narrative of their own.
The paintings move between decorative objects, landscapes, South African birds and reimagined classical portrait studies. Patterned wallpaper appears throughout the compositions, adding another layer of detail and rhythm.
There is a sense of looking at a collection - not necessarily one belonging to a single person or place, but one shaped by the pleasure of finding, keeping and placing things together.
From The Studio
The paintings for DISPLAY have been developed through the slow, layered process that has become central to Walker’s practice.
He works primarily in oil on canvas and board. For works on board, the surface is prepared with several layers of dark brown acrylic, with sanding between each layer. Canvas is prepared differently, beginning with a coat of sky-blue acrylic. The drawing is then established in charcoal or pencil before the outlines are painted in brown acrylic. Thin layers of oil paint follow, building the final image gradually.
On the darker boards, Walker often begins with the highlights, working almost in reverse to build contrast. He also uses thin glazes where required, particularly in portrait studies.
It is a process that requires patience. Individual paintings can take a week or two to complete, while larger works may take up to a month. He works on several paintings at a time, allowing each layer the necessary time to dry before continuing.
A Visual Language Built Over Time
Walker’s interest in classical painting runs through his practice. Rembrandt and Vermeer are among the artists whose techniques and approach he admires, while Pierneef and Tretchikoff have also played an important role in shaping his visual language. He has described his approach as taking these influences and remoulding them into his own contemporary statement.
That relationship between past and present is particularly relevant to DISPLAY. Classical portrait studies sit alongside decorative objects, birds and landscapes, creating compositions that feel rooted in familiar artistic traditions while remaining distinctly contemporary.
Nature is another constant.
Walker grew up on a farm in Rustenburg, where he spent much of his childhood surrounded by plants, trees and the African landscape. His discovery of Pierneef, who had also lived and painted in the area, became an important influence on his own artistic development. Birds, plants and landscapes continue to appear throughout his work, with nature conservation and the diversity of life on our planet forming part of his broader artistic narrative.
Looking Closer
There is no need to rush through these paintings.
Walker describes wanting his work to create a sense of calm and excitement at the same time - to draw the viewer closer through colour, composition and design, and to reward sustained looking. His paintings are deliberately layered with detail; the longer one spends with them, the more there is to notice.
That quality feels particularly fitting for DISPLAY.
A collection is built through looking. We notice something, remember it, choose it, keep it. Later, placed alongside other things we have gathered, its significance can shift.
In these new paintings, decorative objects, landscapes, birds, flowers and portraits occupy the same carefully considered spaces. Nostalgia and joy provide the starting point, but the works leave room for the viewer to make their own associations.
After more than three decades of painting, Walker continues to regard the practice as one of growth and discovery. As he puts it, “As we constantly change and grow, your art grows with you.”
DISPLAY is another step in that ongoing process.
Exhibition Details
Title: DISPLAY
Artist: Kobus Walker
Date: Opening: 1 October 2026 | 18:30
Venue: Art@Africa Gallery, V&A Waterfront
RSVP: kobus@artatafrica.art
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