Biography

Marinda Combrinck was born in Johannesburg, Gauteng. In 1987 she was accepted to the Fine Arts Department at the renowned Die Kruin School of Arts in Johannesburg. In the same year, as a grade 9 student, she received a much coveted Certificate of Merit for “Third best graphic print in the Department for 1987”. Her work was also selected for various school exhibitions.

In 1988 her parents moved to Pretoria where she continued her art studies at the equally renowned Pro Arte School of Arts where she worked under the mentorship of Elsa Lamb, Johan Deichman and Diek Grobler until 1990. Her three years of attendance was marked by a wide representation of her work in a variety of art exhibitions and her active participation in various competitions. Highlights include a work that was selected for the annual Santam School Art Competition and the National Apple Award for Art Competition (a prestigious annual event for art students under the auspices of the South African Apple and Pear Producers Association). Marinda was one of a select few who received a Merit Award for outstanding achievement in art in this competion in 1990.

After she matriculated in 1990 Marinda studied Fine Arts at the Pretoria Technicon (now Tshwane University of Technology). As a student she also studied under the mentorship of Dianne Victor, and participated in various workshops, amongst others a workshop with Nina Romm.

During her student years Marinda was regularly invited to participate in various group exhibitions such as Technicon Pretoria exhibitions at the South African Art Association, the ‘Anti Gravity” exhibition sponsored by the Literary Group, Nu Metro and Exclusive Books in Cape Town and private exhibitions with fellow artists Michael Heyns, Anton Smit, Michele Nigrini, Marna Schoeman and Ansie Sotiralis in Brooklyn, Pretoria. Her work were also exhibited at Diek Grobler’s Dancing Dodo-Gallery in Pretoria, as well the Unisa Art Gallery as part of the “Artists from the greater Pretoria region” group exhibition.

Between 1994 and 1995 Marinda concentrated mostly on her full time involvement with the PRB (Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood) Gallery in Hatfield, Pretoria together with fellow artist and friend, Riaan Bosch, which is where she started pursuing her own individual style as an artist.

In 1996 she took a new direction by accepting a variety of commissions which she balanced with time spent on her own work. Her commissioned works are numerous and include murals, ceiling paintings and individual paintings for hotels (e.g. the Barrydale Hotel, Western Cape), guest houses (e.g. Villa Pappilon, Villa Bella Pretoria) and for private homes (e.g. Mooikloof, Pretoria).

She also worked with fellow artists on large scale projects such as doing set-painting for two pantomimes “Annie’, and “A Lad in a Lamp” for the Civic Theatre, Johannesburg. Marinda considers the opportunity to work with sculptor/painter Suzanne du Toit on several commissions (e.g. murals, ceiling paintings and individual paintings for Caesars Casino and Montecasino in Gauteng) as a particular highlight. During this time she also participated in a group exhibition at the Tina Skoekan Gallery, Pretoria.

In 2004 Marinda decides to exchange city life for the tranguil environs of the Karoo. Her daughter, Liza, and she moved to the small town of Calitzdorp where Marinda worked as a full time artist, developing the unique style for which she is known. In the same year she is invited to join local artists to do a ceiling painting at the Diaz Strand Hotel, Mosselbaai.

Since moving to Calitzdorp Marinda has participated in a variety of group exhibitions such as a duo exhibition with fellow artist, Riaan Bosch, at the Draght ‘n Berg Gallery, Pretoria, the KKNK National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn (2005 and 2006) and another duo exhibition with Riaan Bosch in Pretoria in April 2006.

Marinda’s work can be viewed in various galleries across South Africa amongst others the Art House Gallery, Boesmansrivier, Bottega, Oudtshoorn, Strydom Gallery, George, The Lounge Gallery, Paarl, The Gallery, Mosselbaai and the Prins Albert Gallery, Prins Albert.

The popular television magazine programme, Pasella, featured Marinda’s work in their programme in May 2005 as representative of the artistic talent in Calitzdorp (which is known for its artistic influx).

Marinda was recently invited to exhibit her work at the Art Fair in Dublin, Ireland in November 2006. She is currently working primarily in preparation for this exhibition.