Profile

Amber-Jade Geldenhuys is an artist working with intervention, sculpture, installation, photography and works on paper. Conceptually Geldenhuys is interested in the subversion of utilitarian objects and how active art in a three dimensional environment engages the viewer interactively.

Exhibiting regularly since 2008, Geldenhuys has been awarded a number of prizes includingan Absa L’Atelier Merit Award in 2011, a Mixed Media Merit Award at the Ekurhuleni Thami Mnyele National Fine Arts Awards in 2010, and first prize at the PPC Cement Young Concrete Sculptor Awards in 2009. In that same year she was a finalist for the Sony Student Focus Competition, winning overall for Africa and the Middle East and attending the World Photography Awards held annually in Cannes, France.

Geldenhuys obtained a Masters of Fine Art at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2014, and became a founding member of gRRR Kollective in 2015.  She is currently involved in a number of curatorial projects and practices from her studio in Johannesburg.

Awards

ABSA L’Atelier Competition 2011  
ABSA Gallery, Johannesburg
Merit Award

Ekurhuleni Thami Mnyele National Fine Arts Award 2010
Kempton Park, Johannesburg
Mixed Media Merit Award

Young Concrete Sculptor Awards: PPC Cement 2009
Association of Arts, Pretoria
Overall winner

Sony World Photography Awards 2009
Cannes, France
Finalist of Student Focus

Selected Career Highlights

2023
75th birthday exhibitions . Curated by Pieter van Heerden. Association of Arts, Pretoria.

2022
Give Rocks. A solo show by Amber-Jade Geldenhuys. The Point of Order, Johannesburg.
Endangered Species. Curated MJ Turpin & Matt Dowdle. Merchantec and Kalashnikovv Gallery, Johannesburg. 

2018
Contemporary Botanical Show. Curated by Gina Molle. CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg.
No Walk in the Park. Curated by Amber-Jade Geldenhuys & Sally Rumball. Assemblage, Johannesburg. 
3K. Curated by Rebecca Haysom. Twilsharp, Johannesburg. 
Summer Sculpture Show. Curated by Gina Molle. CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg.

2017
Spectrum. Curated by Gina Molle. CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg.
Hardline. Curated by Emma van der Merwe. CIRCA Gallery, Cape Town. 
2K. Curated by Rebecca Haysom. Twilsharp, Johannesburg. 
Sounds in the city. Curated by Nolan Stephans. Hazard Gallery, Maboneng, Johannesburg.

2016
Material City. Curated by Emma van der Merwe and Sandile Radebe. Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town.
False Idols. Curated by Rebecca Haysom. Twilsharp, Johannesburg.
Who’s in that space? Curated by Tamara Osso. That Space, Newtown, Johannesburg.
Tall Tails. Curated by gRRR Kollective. Johannesburg City Library.
Curiositas. Curated by Carole Desbois. AGOG Gallery. Maboneng, Johannesburg.
Bag Factory Salon. Bag Factory. Fordsburg Johannesburg.
Cape Town Art Fair. Bag Factory. Cape Town.
Bag Factory Artist in residency. Fordsburg, Johannesburg.
Impressions. SOMA Gallery. Maboneng, Johannesburg.
Heartless III. The Corner Shop. Linden, Johannesburg.

2015
Sasol New Signatures. Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria.
Post ✉ African. Curated by Amber-Jade Geldenhuys, Sandile Radebe and MC Roodt. Mzansi Gallery. Melville, Johannesburg.
Turbine Art Fair. Mzansi Gallery. Turbine Hall, Newtown, Johannesburg.
150 Years of Alice. Curated by Gordon Froud. The Corner Shop. Linden, Johannesburg.
The Last Supper. An interactive sculpture with performance by Gina Kraft. Goetheonmain. Maboneng, Johannesburg.

2014-’15
Catherdra/Chair. Curated by Gordon Froud. University of Johannesburg Gallery, Kingsway Campus;  North-West University Gallery, Potchefstroom and the Bayliss Gallery, Norwood.

2014
Plastic Fences and Yellow Brick Houses. A Wits Masters Exhibition by Amber-Jade Geldenhuys. The Substation WSOA. Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
Sasol New Signatures. Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria. 
Salon. Curated by Anne-Marie Tully and Andrea Rolfes. Bamboo. Melville, Johannesburg.

2013-’14
Tom Waits for no man. Travelling exhibition, curated by Gordon Froud. ABSA KKNK, Oudsthoorn; Grande Provence Wine Estate, The University of Johannesburg Art Centre and Oliwenhuis Gallery, Bloemfontein.
Re-Sample. Annual ABSA curated exhibition. Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees (KKNK Art Festival). Prince Vincent Building, Baron von Reede Street, Oudtshoorn.

2012
Re-Sample. Annual ABSA curated exhibition. ABSA Gallery, Johannesburg.
Rooftop Exhibition. Curated by Gordon Froud. St Lorient Building, Pretoria.
Appeal. Curated by Elgin Rust and Kim Gurney. Guerilla Gallery. Doornfontein, Johannesburg.
WITS/UCT Masters Exchange Exhibition. Michaelis Galleries at the University of Cape Town.
PPC Cement in collaboration with the Association of Arts Pretoria: NGO fundraising exhibition. Grahamstown National Arts Festival.

2011-’12
Altered Pieces. Travelling exhibition curated by Gordon Froud of altarpieces based on the lyrics of Leonard Cohen; Thompson Gallery, Johannesburg; PanDora Art House, Pretoria; Aardklop, Potchefstroom; Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees (KKNK Art Festival), Oudstshoorn; Strydom Gallery, George; Grande Provence Wine Estate.

2011
Jeppe Street Research Project. School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand. Curated by Dorothee Kreutzfeldt. Intervention in a building on Jeppe Street, Johannesburg.
The Joburg Fringe: Art of Assemblage. Curated by Mandy Johnston. Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
Absa L’Atelier. Top 10, Merit Award Winner. Absa Gallery, Johannesburg.
PPC Cement: previous winners group exhibition. Association of Arts, Pretoria.

2010
University of Johannesburg final examinations group exhibition. UJ FADA Gallery, Johannesburg.
Oppitafel. Artspace, Fairlands showroom, Johannesburg.
Rooftop Exhibition. Curated by Gordon Froud. St Lorient Building, Pretoria. UJ Kingsway Gallery, Johannesburg.
Collaborative project with Gordon Froud. Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees (KKNK Art Festival), Oudstshoorn.
Absa L’Atelier Competition. Top 100 exhibition. ABSA Gallery, Johannesburg.
Ekurhuleni Thami Mnyele National Fine Arts Awards. Mixed Media Merit Award Winner. Kempton Park, Johannesburg.

2009
Sony World Photography Awards. Cannes, France.
Young Concrete Sculptor Awards: PPC Cement. Overall winner. Association of Arts, Pretoria.
Collective Manoevres: Probing social spaces. Curated by Amber-Jade Geldenhuys and MC Roodt. Melville, Johannesburg.
Museum Africa: City Festival Exhibition. Museum Africa, Johannesburg.

2008
Young Concrete Sculptor Awards: PPC Cement. Association of Arts, Pretoria.

Curatorial Involvement

2017  t o u c h: Turbine Art Fair – Emerging Painters. Curated by Jess Webster in collaboration with Amber-Jade Geldenhuys and MC Roodt. Turbine Hall, Johannesburg.

2016 Tall Tails. Curated by gRRR Kollective. Johannesburg City Library.

2015  Post ✉ African. Curated by Amber-Jade Geldenhuys, Sandile Radebe and MC Roodt. Mzansi Gallery. Melville, Johannesburg.

2009 Collective Manoevres: Probing social spaces. Curated by Amber-Jade Geldenhuys and MC Roodt, Melville, Johannesburg.

Qualifications

2014
The University of the Witwatersrand
Masters in Fine Art 

2010
The University of Johannesburg
Btech in Visual Arts – graduated cum laude

2009
The University of Johannesburg
National diploma in Visual Arts