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EVERARD READ
Everard Read
Images courtesy of Michael Hall and Everard Read
Founded in Johannesburg in 1913, Everard Read is South Africa’s oldest and largest commercial gallery—one of the oldest on the continent. With over a century of history, the gallery has earned enduring respect and public recognition both locally and internationally. Its longevity has seen significant expansion, with six locations across South Africa and, in 2016, the establishment of a London outpost—the first permanent space abroad for a South African gallery. This expansive global presence and spatial capacity has allowed Everard Read to support a large roster of diverse artists, primarily from South Africa. The gallery established its Cape Town presence in 1996 at the V&A Waterfront. It now features a spacious, open-plan double-storey exhibition space alongside the grade-one listed CIRCA building, where historic architectural elements engage with the curatorial experience of each room.
Over the course of the 20th century, Everard Read became synonymous with superb craftsmanship and masterful mark-making, championing many of South Africa’s most celebrated modernists. The gallery played a pivotal role in bridging international, modernist influences with a distinctly South African visual language. While the gallery remains committed to traditional mark-making, its programming has evolved to critically engage with more conceptual practices, incorporating artists who work in mediums such as performance, installation, and video alongside its original foundations. This curatorial shift has seen several of its artists achieve major recognition, including Blessing Ngobeni, who joined the gallery in 2016 and was awarded the Standard Bank Young Artist Award in 2020, and Lady Skollie who joined in 2018 won the same award in 2022. Other notable achievements include Brett Murray’s debut solo at the prestigious Norval Foundation towards the end of this year.
In further support of emerging talent, Everard Read launched the biannual Cubicle series in 2018, hosted at its neighbouring CIRCA space. This initiative provides young and emerging artists with a two-week exhibition platform within the framework of an established gallery, often leading to long-term representation. Recent notable exhibitors include Luca Evans, Boytchie, and Brett Seiler, all of whom have received note-worthy solos and group representations with the gallery since. Through initiatives such as Cubicle, Everard Read continues to shape the careers of the next generation of South African artists, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of the country’s evolving art landscape.
Founder: Everard Read
Director: Mark Read
Charles Shields
Emma Vandemerwe
Geoerge SHields
Gina Mollé
Trent Read
ADDRESS
3 Portswood Road
Cape Town
8001
RECENT ART FAIRS
Expo Chicago 2024
Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2024
ARTISTS
Sanell Aggenbach · Beezy Bailey · Deborah Bell · Boytchie · Mpumelelo Buthelezi · Erin Chaplin · Githan Coopoo · Guy Du Toit · Ricky Dyaloyi · Luca Evans · Faith XLVII · Teresa Kutala Firmino · Liza Grobler · ROM · Lee-Ann Heath · Matthew Hindley · Phillemon Hlungwani · Jeanne Hoffman · Swain Hoogervorst · Thornton Kabeya · Lady Skollie · Michael Macgarry · Warren Maroon · Gerhard Marx · Nomthunzi Mashalaba · Nandipha Mntambo · Lucinda Mudge · Nigel Mullins · Brett Murray · Daniel Naudé · Blessing Ngobeni · Mark Rautenbach · Mmakgabo Helen Sbidi · Brett Charles Seiler · Lionel Smit · Penelope Stutterheime · Angus Taylor · Tafadzwa Tega · Atang Tshikare · Andzej Urbankski · Shany Van Den Berg · Elize Vossgätter · Barbara Wildenboer · Nic Bladen · Norman Catherine · Sasha Hartslief · Vusi Khumalo · Dylan Lewis · John Meyer · Denby Meyer · Caryn Scrimgeour · Harold Voigt · Florian Wozniak·