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Chris Auret - Artist & Maker

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Selected Exhibitions, Projects/Commissions & Publications

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2023

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2022

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2021

  • Lubanzi "Rainboat" Wine Label Art - South African wine (Fair Trade, Carbon Neutral, Certified B Corp & 50% profits back to hands which made it) - AWARDED GOLD IN THE SA WINE MAG LABEL AWARDS

  • Music & Poetry performance at Evoking Art Experience - Performing as Chris Auret & The Divine Discontent Experiment

  • Sustainability Institute "Dream" mural - Created in collaboration with young teenagers attending the school (SI, Stellenbosch)

  • Pro bono mural for the Dorothy Broster Child & Youth Care Centre - "Knysna Loerie" (Knysna, South Africa)

  • Foliumize Print Collaboration - Art to plant trees (Europe)

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2020

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2019

  • "Wild Dog" - Mural commissioned by Studio Bolland (Muizenberg, South Africa)

  • Temple of Reason Apparel Print - South Africa

  • Sustainability Institute "Sunbird" - Mural commissioned by SI (Stellenbosch, SA)

  • Faces of BHC School of Design - Mural commissioned by BHC (Salt River, SA)

  • Century City Arts Trail (CC Art Foundation) - "Peace of Mind" mural (Century City, SA)

  • Discover Bellville conference - Live painting and auction (Bellville, SA)

  • Greenpop Festival of Action - Resident artist and facilitator of 3 community murals, painted in collaboration with festival participants and local adults and children (Garden Route, South Africa)

  • Bazique Festival live painting with Cassandra Hellberg

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2018

  • To We, From Me - 3 month Art Residency at the Imaginarium with Yanna Romano (Muizenberg, South Africa)

  • Generator Murals, Miami - mural commission

  • ValhallaLand - AfrikaBurn Art Project with Agust Helgason & Crew - (Karoo, South Africa)

  • "This Is The Place” Zine/Publication - feature included personal writing & photographs (Cape Town, SA)

  • "Take Nothing But Care", Sasol mural Commission (Vallpark, Joburg, South Africa)

  • Brynn Album Art for "Querencia"

  • Jeremy Loops Album Art Direction for Critical as Water

 

2017

  • Wavescape Artboard Charity Auction - With Maak Boards & Marti Lund (Cape Town, South Africa)

  • “Still Wide Awake” - Music video for musician, KhoisanBoy_Man (South Africa)

  • “Street Art & Cinema” Publication (France) - Featuring Four Corners mural

  • Sound’s Good Retreat Vol 2 - Co-facilitator (Knysna, South Africa)

  • Sound’s Good Retreat Vol 1 - Co-creator and co-facilitator (Knysna, South Africa)

  • Macassar Primary School - Madiba Day mural commission (Macassar, South Africa)

  • The Steezies Album Art for "Snorting Lines of Turmeric"

 

2016

 

2015

  • “Do What You Want” - Short film for Putter School (South Africa)

  • Greater Tygerberg Partnership - public mural commission (Parow, South Africa)

  • Journeymen - Portrait commission of "20 Journey" photographers (South Africa)

  • Mail & Guardian - Article ft. 8 of Cape Town’s top street artists to follow on Instagram (SA)

  • 99 Loop Gallery - Cape of Good Hope group show

  • Edgars Club Magazine - Article ft. "Artists to Watch" (South Africa)

  • Resistance Art - public mural by Crate Collective in collaboration with Ralph Ziman (Manenberg, South Africa)

  • Space Between Gallery - group show (Woodstock, South Africa)

 

2014

  • Salon 91 Contemporary - Golden Haze group show (Cape Town, South Africa)

  • Muti Gallery - You Have My Word solo exhibition (Cape Town, South Africa)

  • Hop Hop Indaba - live painting (Cape Town, South Africa)

  • Nyanja Junction - public mural with Crate Collective (Manenberg, South Africa)

  • Medicine Sans Frontiers - public mural with Martin Lund (Khayelitsha)

  • PACC (Paediatric Primary Care Clinic) - public mural with Martin Lund (Khayelitsha)

  • Four Corners (Movie) - public mural commission (Woodstock, South Africa)

 

2013

  • Salon 91 Contemporary - One In A Million group show (Cape Town, South Africa)

  • Medicine Sans Frontiers - public mural with Martin Lund (Khayelitsha)

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2012

Bio

Chris Auret (b. 1988) is a South African multi-disciplinary artist known for his unique style of painting and emotionally charged expression. After graduating with a BA degree in Visual Communication, he left the advertising industry at 23 with thanks to a near death experience. This event prompted him to pursue his lifelong calling as an artist. Without formal training, he has since gained widespread recognition for his unique and vibrant paintings on canvas and public walls.

Auret's distinctive technique features energetic brushstrokes, vibrant colours, and strong conceptual themes. His artistic repertoire includes drawing, collage, photography, abstract art, film, sound, poetry, and performance art.

 

He has exhibited in group shows and curated three personal exhibitions since 2012. His work has also been showcased in numerous publications and once seen on the front page of a well-known South African newspaper. 

He divides his expression into "ME" and "WE." The "ME" component reflects his personal experiences as a young, white male in South Africa, exploring themes of self-discovery, his sexuality, masculinity, and spirituality. The "WE" aspect encompasses his reverence for that “outside” of himself, such as wildlife, landscapes, and portraits of others – reflecting his belief in the interconnectedness of all things. His influencers include artists like William Kentridge, Van Gogh, Pierneef, Irma Stern, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Banksy. 

 

He has collaborated with various organisations and artists, such as the Century City Arts Foundation, University of the Western Cape, The Greater Tygerberg Partnership, Wavescape, Converse, Jeremy Loops, Alice Phoebe Lou, Ralph Ziman, Rabobank (Amsterdam), Generator Hotels (Miami), Bazique Music Festival, and Afrikaburn. 

A passionate conservationist, through the use of his work, Auret actively supports initiatives such as Greenpop, The Sustainability Institute, Save Our Seas Foundation, and Herd Trust.

In addition to his art, he finds joy in activities like hiking, surfing, and spending time with his fiancée and furry companions. He sees the path of an artist as a means of serving himself and society as a whole.

Artist Statement

As a storyteller, I express myself through various mediums, primarily painting. I share personal revelations and frustrations, whilst also giving voice to those who lack it. Although these two aspects of my expression, which I’ve called "ME" and "WE," may appear different and often exhibit distinct visual styles, they are intricately intertwined.

 

ME: My personal work represents a vulnerable offering of my subconscious brought into consciousness. Themes emerge through processes, taking the form of mixed media, collage, and poetry, eventually resulting in crafted pieces that provide glimpses into less visible realms. I am often surprised by the outcome of this alchemical exercise. Such themes delve into various aspects, including life as a white male in South Africa, my relationship with my sexuality and masculinity, spiritual exploration, the paradox of existence, and the limitations of perception in an infinite cosmos. Animals and landscapes frequently appear as symbolic motifs, akin to badges worn on the sleeve of my journey towards self-discovery.

WE: When I shift my focus to "others" in my vibrant portrait and wildlife paintings, I perceive my subjects as unique stories deserving of celebration. Guided by the African concept of Ubuntu ("I am because we are"), the interpreted faces of people, fauna, flora, and land also become extensions of myself. Through individually visible brushstrokes, my pieces serve as visual meditations on their subjects. I immerse myself in the process of creation, exploring the interplay of colours and vibrations produced by adjacent brushstrokes. My body moves fluidly with each mark, experiencing a release, absorption, and ultimately surrender, culminating in the birth of the artwork through me. Inspired by my deep bond with nature, forged with the privilege of growing up frequenting the Kruger Park, and a desire to challenge prevailing narratives, I honour wildlife and our interdependent relationship. 

 

Through public art and mural painting, I aim to break down barriers between the artist, artwork, and viewer, engaging with passersby and raising awareness of social and environmental issues.  

In addition to renowned artists, such as William Kentridge, Irma Stern, Pierneef, Van Gogh, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy, I draw inspiration from contemporary painters like Canadian artist, Andrew Salgado and South African artist, Chris Denovan.

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