Alex Hamilton’s Art and Legacy Shine at Glen Carlou This Summer

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied


Celebrated South African artist Alex Hamilton will debut two exhibitions and his autobiography simultaneously at The Gallery at Glen Carlou on 24 November 2024.

If you’re making a trip to the winelands over the next three months, a visit to Alex Hamilton‘s spectacular three-part art event at Glen Carlou Wine Estate in Simondium, Paarl is a must-do.

From 24 November 2024 until 2 February 2025, the gallery situated on the award-winning estate will play host to Alex’s solo exhibition entitled “30 Years of Arting Around, A Redospective”, a group art exhibition curated by the artist titled “Dream Dream World: The Morpheus Mash-Up” and the debuting of his illustrated autobiography “Arting and the Subsequent Shenanigans of a Serial Collector”. 

The Estate has a rich history of supporting the arts with its exceptional gallery space, attributed to the late Donald Hess, who was one of the world’s most prolific and respected collectors of contemporary art and a former owner of the company. When the Estate changed ownership in late 2016, the Hess Art Museum was rebranded as The Gallery at Glen Carlou. This new platform focuses on supporting South African artists and hosts exhibitions that showcase contemporary, pop, and modern art.  


“30 Years of Arting Around, A Redospective”

As an artist whose success over the past three decades has firmly established him in the pop art genre, Alex has opted for a different approach for his solo exhibition at The Gallery at Glen Carlou. Rather than a traditional retrospective, he has coined the term “Redospective” for this showcase.

The exhibition revisits and reinterprets his recurring themes from the past three decades, both physically and metaphorically, adapting them to resonate with 2024. It will primarily feature new works, alongside reimagined and earlier pieces.

Alex’s exhibition will also feature textile art and hand-embroidered works. “These are among the last art forms that cannot be replicated by technology because of the tactile qualities,” says Alex. “They should be enjoyed or experienced in real life rather than cyberspace.” 

Alex Hamilton – I Promised You a Rose Garden
I Promised You a Rose Garden

One of the featured works will be “I Promised You a Rose Garden”, a handmade wall-hanging quilt that measures nearly 2.5 meters. This quilt incorporates vintage fabrics and materials from Alex’s childhood, and it has been meticulously crafted using stencil-style appliqué and embroidery by the artist. This enormous work is a tribute to the artist’s mother, one of the most profound influences in his own life.


“Dream Dream World: The Morpheus Mash-Up” 

Curated by Alex, the group exhibition titled “Dream Dream World: The Morpheus Mash-Up” draws inspiration from Greek mythology. In this myth, Morpheus, one of the many sons of Somnus (the god of Sleep), sends various human shapes to dreamers, allowing their dreams to flourish with joy.

“Artists are often called dreamers, and they should always stay that way, because dreams feed the creative soul and makes it move forward and explore the unknown. It is there where we find the best bits,” explains Alex. His trademark informal “Mash-Up” curating style has seen many mash-up exhibitions emerge over the years. “By mixing artists work about individual dreams, a universal collective visual dream will emerge,” he goes on to explain. 

The group exhibition will include artists:


Arting and the Subsequent Shenanigans of a Serial Collector by Alex Hamilton

“Arting and the Subsequent Shenanigans of a Serial Collector”

The launch of Alex’s illustrated autobiography, “Arting and the Subsequent Shenanigans of a Serial Collector,” combines several elements: it serves as a memoir detailing an extraordinary and often bizarre childhood in the Karoo, an adventure and food travelogue, and a reflection on Hamilton’s 30-year career in fine art as an artist, gallerist, and award-winning curator.


Both exhibitions and the book launch will take place at The Gallery at Glen Carlou, with the exhibitions running from 24 November 2024 to 2 February 2025. The opening event will take place on Sunday 24 November at 11am. | glencarlou.com


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