Born and raised in Bellville, Cape Town, Arend Louw has a personality as colourful as his paintings.

After a few years of travelling so as to explore and expand his worldview, he returned to his roots and took up residence on the family’s farm in the  Sandveld region of the Cape West Coast.  Arend takes inspiration from the quiet and solace from the serenity provided by the area – a detail that is evident in the focus he exercises over his art.

Each work is motivated by Arend’s surroundings; his use of photography is in direct symbiosis with the paintings he creates, thus capturing the finer nuances of small town life.

As Arend explains:

The themes of my paintings are personal and yet universal. They are the scenes of everyday life. I am inspired by the effect that natural light has on a scene; a landscape or object can be transformed by the highlights and shadows that fall upon it”.

Working exclusively in oils has developed Arend’s leniency towards making mistakes. Seeing mistakes as part of the process instead of allowing them to hinder his work, Arend prefers oils as they demand contemplation. They are slow to dry and quick to forgive.

Not only skilled in delicate and precise brushwork, Arend’s works need to convey a message, even if it is to the artist alone:

“All my paintings are created with intent. Not just to please the viewer but to convey an emotion that a specific moment has stirred in me”.

Arend has been living on the West Coast for more than 12 years with his cat, dog and his Ox, Fillet.