SHANY VAN DEN BERG
(b. 1958 Riversdale, South Africa)

Shany van den Berg's artistic practice stems from her life as a woman, mother and professional artist. Renowned for her technical acumen, subtle symbolism and agility in slipping between portraiture, figurative, abstraction and sculptural, she investigates and interrogates the critical contemporary themes of womanhood, identity, family, and connectedness to mother earth. With subtle symbolism and technical agility, her artwork is diverse, ranging from portraiture, figuration  and mixed media, combined with abstraction and sculpture. She reconstitutes her stream of consciousness as both fable and history, binding together a layered ‘map’. This serves as both a solitary interior landscape of self-reflection and the more universal language of humanity's journey through one’s life. Shany van den Berg’s artworks poignantly remind us that we are all unique and inescapably part of one human race and planet.

She is based in Stellenbosch.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2026
Upcoming, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

2025
WINTER 2025|2026, Everard Read, London, UK
A Place to Bloom, Everard Read, London, UK

2024
BinneTuin / Garden Within, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2023
Garden of Her Dreams, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

2022
Her Garden, Everard Read, London, UK

2021
NOS, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2019
Dream Pond, Everard Read, London, UK

2018
FLUISTERINGE VANAF 'N LELIEPOEL/ WHISPERS FROM THE LILY POND, Everard Read, Franshhoek, South Africa

2017
(in)filtration of time, CIRCA gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2015
Al(l)een, The Gallery at Grande Provence, Franschhoek, South Africa
New works, Gallery at La Grande Provence, Franschhoek, South Africa

2012
Hinterland, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

2011
Siel van my Vel, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2010
Solo, IS Art at Le Quatier Francais, Franschhoek, South Africa

2008
in gesprek met, Smellick &Stokking, Den Haag, Netherlands

2007
..(h)erken...ken...en... , Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
gedagtes wat reis, My Own Choice Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2006
dwaaltuin, Grande Provence Gallery, Franschhoek, South Africa

2003
construction site, Limeline Design, Cape Town, , South Africa

2001
vlug in tyd, Dorp Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa

1999
my shadow, my echo, me, Bang the Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025
WINTER 2025|2026, Everard Read, London, UK
10 Years | Summer 2025, Everard Read, London, UK
Matter Matters| Artists & Their Media, Everard Read, London, UK

2024
Southern Light: A Group Show, Everard Read London, UK
From Stone to Soul: A Sculptural Journey, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

2023
110 Year Anniversary Show, Everard Read London, UK
SUMMER, Everard Read, London, UK

2022
Winter Exhibition, Everard Read, London, UK

2019
Winter, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
Southern Aspect, Everard Read, London, UK

2018
Winter, CIRCA, Cape Town, South Africa
People and Portraiture, CIRCA, Cape Town, South Africa
Summer, Everard Read, London, UK
Winter, Everard Read London, UK

2017
Summer, Everard Read, London, UK
Winter, CIRCA, Cape Town, South Africa
Summer, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

2016
Summer, Everard Read, London, UK
Opening Group Exhibition, CIRCA Gallery, London, UK
Winter, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2015
Homage, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
Winter, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2014
Summer Season, D-Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Summer of Sculpture III , Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa
Magicus, D-Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2013
Cape Town Re-Imagined, Suidoosterfees, Cape Town, South Africa
100, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
Universal Suffering, War Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Femininity, curated by Eva Roer, Germany
SAADA Antique Fair, Pier Rabe Antiques, Franschhoek, South Africa
Hiernamaals/Hereafter, Slee Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Binnehemels, Red, Black & White, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2012
Small Works, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
A Summer of Sculpture, Mount Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa

2009
halfmens / heelmens, Red, Black & White Gallery, Pier Rabe
Sex, Power, Money, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2008
Confluence,  Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2006
Small works, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
Shany van den Berg / Strijdom van der Merwe, Grande Provence Gallery, Franschhoek Cape Town, South Africa

2005
Three, trio, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2000-2002
Shany van den Berg/Alex Hamilton, Bang the Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2000
A Celebration of Art & Technology, in aid of the Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund, sponsored by Hewlett Packard, South Africa

ART RESIDENCIES

2023
Residency at Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris, France

2013
Fellowship, The Ampersand Foundation, New York, USA

2007
Art Exchange, Hubei Institute of Art, Wuhan, China and Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

1998
Lauenberg, Germany

COMPETITIONS & PROJECTS

2022
Woordfees / Stellenbosch, SA in conjunction with Stauss & Co, South Africa

2021
Sanlam Portrait Award Finalist: Rust en Vrede Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2019
Sanlam Portrait Top 40 Finalist ‘Leah se Water’ Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2016
BP Portrait Award Finalist, National Portrait Gallery, London
BP Travel Award Shortlisted Finalist, Portrait Gallery, London
Art Patron of MAD Leadership Foundation / Collaboration with students, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2013
Fellowship granted by the Ampersand Foundation, New York

2011
Bright Ideas Ceramic art, Light from Africa Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa

2010
BP Portrait Award Finalist, National Portrait Gallery, London
2 Textile wall artworks, 6m by 2m, made in collaboration with Mogalakwena Art and Craft Centre, Limpopo, for Waterkloof Wine Estate, Somerset West, South Africa

2009
BP Portrait Award Finalist, National Portrait Gallery, London

2008
Art exchange, Hubei Institute of Art, China
Art Fair Utrecht

2007
AAF Amsterdam

2005
Sasol New Signatures Finalist, South Africa

2004
Community Arts Workshop, with Everard Read, Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa

2000
Hewlett Packard Project and Auction Johannesburg in support of Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, South Africa

1990
Corobrik Ceramic Competition Cape Town finalist