Biennale Participating Artists 2013
Susan Abraham
The four plants I have chosen are all used for ritual and medicinal purposes by the Xhosa people of the Eastern Cape. Except for Clivia nobilis, all are small and may seem insigni cant, yet each is important in Xhosa culture and is a delight to paint.
Clivia nobilis: an infusion of the root of umayime is used as a ritual wash against evil spirits or misfortune. A small piece of the root is chewed and spat out while addressing opponents or enemies loudly in their absence. The ritual is called ukuchila and its purpose is to ward o evil spirits.
Haworthia attenuata: An infusion of the leaves of intelezi are used as a ritual wash (iyeza lokuhlamba) to dispel nightmares and fear of the unknown and is splashed on oor and walls of the home to drive o evil spirits.
Silene undulata: the crushed saponaceous root is soaked in water and whisked to produce thick white foam that is ingested by diviners to induce dreams that are interpreted as messages from the ancestors.
Tulbaghia violacea: An infusion of the whole plant is splashed and sprinkled around the home as a protection from evil spirits (ukutshiza); live plants are grown around the home and in containers as protection from evil spirits and witchcraft, particularly umamlambo, the snake familiar.
Julie Ah-Fa
When I arrived in the country in 2008, I quickly learned to love this particular plant that blossoms in winter, often under harsh conditions. Besides being one of the most emblematic plants of South Africa for me, aloes are also one of the most ancient plants known for their healing properties.
The gel of most aloes (species or hybrids like the A. striata x maculata) can be used, but that’s not all. The bene ts are countless and each part of the plant can have a particular usage (roots, sap, leaves) from medicinal (skin problems, tapeworms, pain to name a few) to traditional belief and more.
A. vanbalenii, for instance, is planted on graves in the belief that it will lead to eternal like. The leaves and fruits are also edible.
Kath Baker
When I saw Brunsvigia grandi ora and the rare Nerine huttoniae growing in their native habitats, I wanted to paint them. The former species, particularly, has been used in traditional medicine. I felt that the crimson of the young leaves of Protea nitida contrasted well with the glaucous older leaves and that this colour matched that of the in orescences of the two bulbs. The crimson theme has been carried through in Protea roupelliae. I feel that the spherical forms and the colour, in the four paintings, help to make a unit.
Eileen Bass
The medicinal uses of the Adansonia digitata range from a drink made from the white pulp of the fruit (cream of tartar) used for the treatment of fevers and diarrhoea to the use of the bark and leaves for fevers, malaria and as an anti-in ammatory.
Besides the medicinal qualities of Adansonia, my intention is to show the stark beauty of the Baobab Tree in winter, a haven for birds, to the beautiful cup-shaped white ower appearing in October to November which, when it appears, only lasts overnight and then falls o . I have also shown the large furry egg-shaped fruit and the magni cence of the tree in full foliage in summer.
Pat Bowerbank
I have a considerable interest in medicinal plants and grow many in my garden. From these I have chosen three for their medicinal importance and the fourth for its historical curiosity.
The paintings attempt to focus on the bulb and roots as the most important for medicinal purposes, but also to show that what grows below the surface of the soil is just as beautiful as the ower above. To bring extra artistic value and scienti c interest, I have added in each case, a dried, pressed part of the plant.
Jenny Bryce
These plants appealed to me as an artist with their owers of warm yellows, oranges and reds, as well as the fascinating variation of their shapes and leaves. From the bold orange heads of Clivia miniata to the small red pea-like owers of Lessertia frutescens; from the dark green strap-like leaves of Clivia to the silvery aromatic leaves of Salvia africana-lutea.
The wavy-edged leaves of Scadoxus puniceus are so di erent from the tiny fairy-like leaves of Lessertia.
The striking dried ower-head of the spent Scadoxus with its emerging berries, and the dark-red calyx of Salvia are also remarkable to an artist.
The fact that all these plants o er so many di erent healing properties, from cancer problems to childbirth, and many other ailments is truly fascinating.
Wendy Burchell
Clivia miniata var. citrina: I was intrigued by the tiny leaf and determined tap root when I noticed them germinating from their fruit whilst still on the parent plant. They are called recalcitrant seeds, a trait of Amaryllidaceae. Both Clivia miniata and C. miniata var. citrina grow in my garden so I was able to watch their progress from buds in whispers of pink and yellow to scarlet or ochre fruits.
Amaryllis belladonna: I found the plant growing in full sun on Seekoeivlei farm outside Bredasdorp owering in late January – strange, as this is commonly called the March lily. This plant bore eight blooms whereas the second specimen, collected in March, grew in a local shady garden and bore twenty deep pink owers.
Medicinal use: Amaryllidaceae contain extremely toxic alkaloids. Those growing in shade are more toxic than those found in sunny conditions. Internal use is dangerous and to be avoided.
Clivia miniata rhizomes and roots are used by Zulus to treat fever, snake bite and pain. The entire plant is used to aid childbirth and parturition. Clivias are extremely toxic and taken orally cause salivation, vomiting, diarrohea, paralysis and collapse in higher doses.
Karen Comins
Having always been fascinated by the forms of pods and seeds from nature, I enjoy illustrating their beauty on paper. When the pods dry out, twisting and exploding and revealing their wealth of seeds, they are works of art in themselves. Various African cultures string these striking seeds into necklaces, wearing some of them as lucky charms. This humble use as adornment is far outweighed by their destined purpose. Each of these seeds holds the potential beginnings of life, in many forms. The trees and vines that will eventually grow, provide food and shelter for a myriad of creatures. The mature plants also have traditional and modern medicinal properties.
Seeds are the quiet and unassuming phenomenon that ensure the continued cycle of Nature and Life.
Gillian Condy
I have chosen to illustrate small trees. The Pavetta edentula (bride’s bush) and Greyia radlkoferi specimens grow on the edge of the kloof in the Bu elskloof Private Nature Reserve near Lydenburg. Both were drawn in situ, and it was wonderful to observe the array of visitors to the owers.
Leaves of Pavetta are eaten raw as a vegetable by the Zulu people and the ne-textured wood is used for ornamental woodwork.
Markhamia zanzibarica is found in the northern parts of the Kruger National Park and northwards towards the tropics. The fairly hard, ne-grained wood is used for roof timbers and ornaments, while the roots are traditionally used to treat backache.
Markhamia obtusfolia grows in Namibia and into the tropics. The material was collected from trees growing in the Pretoria National Botanical Garden. The roots are boiled and administered for the treatment of backache, while leaves are used to tell fortunes.
Sally Crosthwaite
I chose these plants due to the variety of medical conditions they can be used to treat.
Cotyledon orbiculata, pig’s ear, Crassulaceae – the leaves and leaf juice are a cure for worms, toothache, warts, boils and epilepsy when applied directly on a ected areas. However, its application internally could be harmful due to the plant’s toxicity.
Crinum x powellii, Amaryllidaceae can be used as a cure for skin irritations, fevers, bladder and kidney diseases, colds and rheumatism. But, its ongoing use is not recommended due to the possibility of toxicity.
Gloriosa superba, Colchicaceae is used to treat intestinal worms, bruises, infertility, skin problems and impotence. However, research shows that all parts of this plant are extremely poisonous and ingestion could be fatal.
I have chosen Amaryllis belladonna, Amaryllidaceae because I love the way the strong red stems erupt from the earth and then produce such delicate pink owers
Alice Dean
When I received noti cation of the theme of the exhibition along with a list of suitable plants, the Erythrina humeana was in bloom. This was grown from a seed from a plant that was growing wild in my garden in Hillcrest, Natal. It was the obvious choice for my rst painting.
The other three subjects grow in my garden on the West Coast where I now live. I was attracted to all four plants by the colours and shapes of the owers and leaves.
They are all painted life size.
Annali Delsink
My use of Scraperboard as a medium attempts to show how the use of line as well as ne detail could describe and identify plant species even with limited use of colour.
Vachellia karroo, widespread throughout South Africa, is an integral part of our country’s history having been used for everything from raft-making to sewing needles and fencing for the houses of the royal Zulu women.
The Sweet thorn is an indicator of water, both underground and surface, and therefore it was a very welcome sight to early travellers and nomads.
The tree gets its common name from the pleasant- tasting gum and is apparently similar to gum arabic which is used as water-soluble glue.
Stock and game feed on the leaves, owers and pods. The bark contains tannin which is used to tan leather. When wet, the inner bark is pliable enough for making a strong rope. It has many medicinal uses ranging from wound dressings to eye treatments and cold remedies. Vachellia karroo makes an attractive garden tree and can be grown from seed.
Karin De Piaz
To see the brilliant red ower spikes of Aloe arborescens on a sunny, winter’s day at Kirstenbosch is such an inspirational sight. I had to paint it – and believed that pastel was the right medium for it. I showed an image of the nished painting to Ernst van Jaarsveld and he remarked that this was an historical coincidence, because the rst aloe introduced to Kirstenbosch in 1913 had been the Aloe arborescens.
I have been on numerous hikes along the Wild Coast and always admired the Aloe ferox in its natural habitat. I mentioned this to Ernst and requested some plant material. He showed me images of the white A. ferox and I couldn’t resist attempting to paint this beautiful plant – again in pastel. I worked almost a year on these paintings. At times I found it di cult to achieve the desired detail in pastel – but I loved every minute of it.
The other two paintings are of A. ciliaris and A. pictifolia. These are small plants and I felt colour pencil would be a more suitable medium to use.
Margaret de Villiers
CENTENARY CELEBRATION
The Overberg fynbos celebrates Kirstenbosch’s centenary in ne style. Dressed for the party, the Erica grisbrookii plays the champagne bubbles; the reworks are represented by Elegia persistens and the dancing girls by Hermas villosa. Unfortunately one elderly dancer is overcome by the enormity of the occasion and has collapsed.
For the past four years I have painted ericas of the coastal mountains and plains of the Overberg and this has become both a challenge and a passion. Contact with professional and amateur botanists from all walks of life has been one of my many rewards. My knowledge of what grows where is expanding all the time and I am grateful for the ongoing support of many people of the Overberg. My theme for this year’s biennale is ‘A Celebration
of Kirstenbosch’s Centenary’. I honour important research at Kirstenbosch with my painting of Cyclopia genistoides, a medicinal plant commonly known as honeybush tea. My other two paintings of Ericas honour plant collectors.
Lynda de Wet
I have long been fascinated by parasitic plants. The vivid crimson of the Hyobanche sanguinea blooming in the veld, the phallic Mystropetalon thomii – to ensure cross-pollination, the female owers bloom and are in seed while the plant continues developing and produces its male owers which then disperse their pollen. I found several species growing in the area where I live (Kogelberg) – the Harveya squamosa emerged just 20 metres from my studio. I was hooked!
While paging through van Wyk & Gericke’s Peoples Plants, I came across the most bizarre parasitic plant – Hydnora africana. I tracked it down to the Worcester Botanical Garden. It has traditional medicinal value
– the dried owers are found at muthi sellers and the veldkos fruit is tasty to eat (if you can nd it before the jackals do). Invaluable information came from the late Johann Visser’s Parasitic Flowering Plants of South Africa. These plants attach on to host roots for their nutrients, having lost their ability to produce chlorophyll.
The paintings of these parasites, in situ as I found them, with the host in pencil, has been a stimulating journey which has not yet come to an end.
Wilna Eloff
My choice of subjects was inspired by the fact that they are somewhat di erent and create a challenge to capture their unique detail.
Over the past two years, I have been searching for the mysterious Gethyllis species and their wonderful change in growth and development in a season.
In the same manner, I found a large-sized Dioscorea elephantipes, which calls for ne hand and eye skills to present the symmetry and contours.
Aloe ferox is commonly known for various medicinal uses but one can seldom see the actual tapping of the cut leaves and collection of exudate in the veld.
Iris Farham
I was attracted to these species by:
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the sheer beauty of the mother plant (Amaryllis
belladonna) when her cluster of up to 12 baby- pink lilies headed on a single stem stands so proudly without any accompanying foliage;
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the curious structure of the plant commonly known as wilde dagga which attracts handsome nectar-seeking birds who are intimidated by the very sharp spikes.
Leigh-Ann Gale
Having researched a number of options to ful l the theme of this biennale, it was the widely-distributed Pelargonium sidoides (also known as the South African geranium) which attracted my attention due to its beautiful, petite reddish-purple owers. The tuberous, branch-like roots of this plant were traditionally used for treating colic, dysentery and other abdominal ailments; today it is commercially harvested in Lesotho to produce remedies for bronchitis and other respiratory tract infections.
The huge diversity of this genus, of which 80% of species come from South Africa, in uenced my decision to illustrate further examples, all of which can be found growing in the wild. From the succulent square stems of Pelargonium tetragonum and the unique yellow owers and swollen nodes of Pelargonium gibbosum, to the sticky aromatic leaves and woody shrub-like habit of Pelargonium exstipulatum, this group of plants has perfected the art of adapting to its diverse habitat throughout southern Africa.
Olwen Gibson
Tylecodons and cotyledons, as members of the Crassulaceae family, are related and were both once in the genus Cotyledon. The genus was split in the 1970s. Tylecodon, with its deciduous, alternately arranged leaves and interesting succulent stems was separated from Cotyledon which has evergreen, opposite, succulent leaves. Tylecodons are found in the drier, winter rainfall areas while cotyledons occur widely in both winter and summer rainfall areas. Both genera have attractive, bell-like owers which are pollinated by sunbirds.
Tylecodon wallichii or krimpsiektebos which I found in the Eastern Cedarberg is toxic to stock but the Khoikhoi people apparently used the pounded stem as a poultice for abscesses.
T. grandi orus with its long tubular owers grows where the steep cli s begin on the west-facing slopes of the Cape Peninsula.
Cotyledon woodii grows in the Ladismith area while the well-known C. orbiculata (plakkie or pig’s ear) is widely used for getting rid of warts and corns. Leaf juice can also be used as a poultice for abscesses, but, because of its toxicity, is too dangerous to be used internally.
June Good
Clivias are used medicinally by some of the indigenous peoples of South Africa for both spiritual and physiological ailments. Clivia miniata is the most widely used and therefore at the greatest risk of being overharvested in the wild. The plant parts used are the roots, rhizome and leaves. All parts of C. miniata are toxic and may cause anything from mild stomach upset to death if ingested in large doses.
C. miniata has a wide distribution in South Africa and is the variety most commonly grown in parks and gardens and as an indoor plant. Miniata refers to the ame colour of the ower. C. gardenii is con ned to KwaZulu-Natal. C. nobilis is con ned to the Eastern Cape and nobilis refers to the noble Lady Clive.
C. miniata x Clivia caulescens: the very di erent ower shapes of C. miniata (trumpet shaped) and C. caulescens (tubular) would suggest that they are pollinated by di erent pollinators. In fact, this plant is a naturally occurring hybrid of C. caulescens and the most northerly populations of C. miniata.
Annatjie Greyling
Apocyanaceae (oleander) are common in our area and therefore often go unnoticed. On closer inspection, I was fascinated by the contrasting textures of the balloon-type fruit, the woolly seeds and the dry pods. I was also surprised to notice not only a creeper variety but also one with a thick stem.
Gillian Grose
Each of my paintings is of a plant I wanted to paint, three from my garden and one which, when owering, makes a very striking entrance to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. All are particularly appealing to me, three of them because I spent my childhood in Natal and one because Gerbera jamesonii was my mother’s favourite ower. I was intrigued by the di erence between the Gerbera root system and that of Crocosmia and I nd that both Carissa and Bauhinia have strong, bold bearing and colour. Crocosmia is used in traditional medicine for dysentery. The leaves of Carissa macrocarpa are used traditionally to treat diarrhoea in livestock. The leaves of Bauhinia galpinii are used traditionally in the treatment of diarrhoea.
Jean Grose
I work mainly in charcoal pencil and watercolour, adding layers of colour to increase the depth and tone of my paintings; sometimes I use pen and ink to highlight speci c parts of the plant. There is a slightly decorative approach with the use of the various mediums and this emphasises the shapes and forms of the plants represented. The organic form of the plant is important and provides inspiration in terms of the structural growth and natural design inherent in every plant.
I hope that my images re ect my approach to the organic qualities inherent in the plants that I have portrayed. The plants that I have chosen are special to me as they all grow in my garden and the gardens of my family – I really like them, and they are all medicinal! Pelargonium graveolens was grown from a slip from my daughter’s garden, Crinum moorei has been shared with all of the family and now grows in several family gardens, Cotyledon orbiculata and Aloe ferox are ourishing in my back garden looking towards Table Mountain.
Solly Gutman
South Africa has the richest and most diverse succulent ora in the world. For my fourth biennale, I decided to use succulents for all four images.
Euphorbia aggregata is closely related to E. ferox and E. pulvinata. They consist mostly of compact, multiple-branched and heavily-thorned cushions. It grows in the surrounds of the Carlisle bridge region about 45 km north of Grahamstown.
Euphorbia grandialata is related to E. cooperi and E. barnardii. It grows as a Limpopo endemic.
Aloe maculata is a stemless aloe belonging to the group of spotted aloes. Reportedly, sap from the leaves is used as a substitute for soap. It grows from the Cape Peninsula to the Eastern Cape, the eastern Free State, through KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga to Zimbabwe.
Aloe albida ia a dwarf aloe with small white owers. It likes misty mountain grassland habitats and thrives in crevices amongst mossy rocks in areas where grasses are fairly short. The leaves have a waxy coating and a pale grayish, bluish-green colour.
It is found on the mountains in Barberton to the northern border, and in parts of Swaziland.
Janet Hallett
Crinum moorei, family Amaryllidaceae, is a lily found in large clumps in damp marshy areas in forests along our east coast and is a centenarian plant of Kirstenbosch. The leaves and large bulbs are used in traditional medicine for urinary tract infections, infected sores and to treat cattle. This pink form of the ower is found wild around Port St Johns.
Cyrtanthus mackenii is a sweetly scented, dainty member of the Amaryillidaceae, which grows in clumps along stream banks. I have painted the yellow form of the species, var. cooperi, which comes from this region.
Veltheimia bracteata, family Hyacinthaeceae, is a lily which grows in forests and coastal scrub. The owers in the wild are usually pink and occasionally a greenish yellow form is found. This painting is of the very attractive cultivar ‘Lemon Flame’.
Zantedeschia aethiopica, the common arum lily of the family Araceae, grows in marshy areas along the eastern seaboard. Traditionally this plant is boiled and eaten and the leaves used as a poultice and a treatment for headaches.
Lize Hofmeyr
The four plants I have chosen are all indigenous to southern Africa, and grow in rocky areas. The plants are linked by their ability to store resources, and by their hardiness.
The three succulents use their leaves as food and water storage organs, whereas the geophyte Haemanthus albi os uses its bulb to store resources. The fact that these plants complement each other visually, contributed to my choice.
Cotyledon orbiculata is a well-known medicinal plant. The eshy part of the leaf is used to soften and remove hard corns and warts. It can also be used as a poultice for boils and other in ammations, in particular, earache. The Tswanas use the rhizome of Sansevieria aethiopica to obtain moisture, and the leaf bres to make string. The plant is also used in their local religious practices.
Jenny Hyde-Johnson
This biennale’s theme has prompted me to seek out and paint plants bene cial to the ancients who once lived amongst the very same hills and dales where I too roam and live, in the Cradle of Humankind. For all, from the ape-like hominids to the more modern Stone Age and Bushman people, hunting was an integral part of survival.
I have portrayed four lethal arrow poison plants from the area. Two of them were also used to treat snake-bites. My heart soared at the brief for this biennale with its mention of symbiotic relationships between plants and other creatures. Long before those early hunters, the butter ies and moths which I have included in my paintings used these speci c host plants for their survival. Utilisation of the toxic plant poisons has ensured their continued existence to the present day. Acokanthera oppositifolia hosts Asota speciosa; Adenia digitata hosts Acraea anemosa; Boophane disticha hosts Brithys crini; Gnidia karaussiana hosts Erikssonia edgei.
Elbe Joubert Domröse
Among the plants that evoke childhood memories is the aloe. It got painted endlessly! Today this medicinal species Aloe ferox is painted again, but with full splendour and robust dignity, including, of course, the fauna and ora of its region!
I still picture my grandmother riding side-saddle on their family farm Fisantekraal, Bellville district, looking for and smelling the Gethhyllis afra. I saw and painted it for the rst time on 25 December, 2012!
Agapanthus companulatus of the Wolkberge, Limpopo, is also portrayed with the fauna and ora endemic to its area, a wonderful project to research. The Wolkberg Zulu, for instance, is an endangered butter y!
Strumaria sulteri was suggested by Graham Duncan to match the Gethyllis.
Agapanthus campanulatus
Gethyllis afra
Foreword Phakamani m’Afrika Xaba
The year 2013 marks the centenary year of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and to celebrate this milestone, the theme for this year’s botanical art biennale at Kirstenbosch is medicinal and traditional use plants of Southern Africa.