Catherine Ocholla

Catherine Ocholla (b. 1983) was born in Kenya and grew up in South Africa. She graduated with a BA in Fine Art from the University of Cape Town in 2007 and completed a Master's degree in Fine Art at the Michaelis School of Fine Art in 2022.

Over a professional career spanning more than fifteen years, Ocholla has established herself as one of South Africa's most accomplished realist painters. Working primarily in oil paint, she is best known for her atmospheric skyscapes and photorealistic paintings that combine technical precision with environmental and social commentary.Her work explores the atmosphere as both a physical and symbolic space, drawing on themes that include climate change, memory, science fiction, global conflict and humanity's relationship with the natural world. Through carefully constructed images, she creates paintings that feel at once familiar and speculative, inviting viewers to consider both the present moment and possible futures.

Ocholla has exhibited extensively throughout South Africa and internationally and her work is held in numerous private and public collections.

Selected Exhibitions:

2024
The Shipping Forecast - group exhibition, StateoftheART Gallery, Cape Town

2023
Time & Tide Wait For No Man - group exhibition, StateoftheART Gallery, Cape Town
Cubicle Series - group exhibition, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

2022
The Sky Is Falling -  an exhibition of works produced as part of the requirements for a postgraduate degree at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town.

2020
Solo Exhibition, The Space Between, 29 April - 16 May 2020, StateoftheART Gallery Online

2018
Group Show, Super Nature, 7th June - 23rd June, State of the Art Gallery, Cape Town

2017
Group Show, Trop Comprendre, 3rd October - 30th September, Sulger-Buel Lovell Gallery, London
Top 40 Exhibition, Sanlam Portrait Award, Rust en Vrede Gallery, Bellville

2016
Solo Exhibition, Late night, early morning, World Art Gallery, 6th – 27th October
Group Show, Scapes, State of the Art Gallery, Cape Town, 7th – 23rd July
Group Show, Optical Diversion, Eclectica Design and Art, 5th May – 20th July

2015
Solo Exhibition, Barfly, WorldArt Gallery, Cape Town, 1st October – 3rd November
Cape Town Art Fair, WorldArt Gallery, Cape Town, 26th  February – 1st March

2014
Solo Exhibition, ARIA, StateoftheART, Cape Town, 7th - 23rd August
Solo Exhibition, The Trip, World Art Gallery, 2nd – 30th October

2012
Solo Exhibition, Nothing new under the sun, AVA gallery, Cape Town, 4th – 29th June

2011
Group Show, Turpentyn, Artscape Theatre, Cape Town, 25th Jan - 1st Feb

2010
Group Show, Ways of Seeing, Ore Gallery, Cape Town
Group Show, Smogasbord, Wessel Snyman Creative, Cape Town
Group Show, Tretchikoff and me, Salon 91, Cape Town, 23rd June – 31st July
Group Show, Inverting the Pyramid, Blank Projects, Cape Town, 10th June - 10th July
Solo Exhibition, Wise Cracks, Blank Projects, Cape Town, 5th – 29th May

2009
Group Show, History(n), UCA Gallery, Cape Town, 23rd September - 16th October
Curator, Voight-Kampff, UCA Gallery, Cape Town, 29th July - 21st August
Group Show, Nuance, UCA Gallery, Cape Town
Group show, Supermarket, the Muti Gallery, Cape Town

2007
Group show, Michaelis Graduate Show, UCT, Cape Town
Group show, Headlines, African Studies Gallery, UCT, Cape Town

2006
Group Show, The Cape Town International Biennale, Blank Projects, Cape Town

2005
Group Show, Members exhibition, Association for Visual Arts /AVA, Cape Town

2004
Group Show, Can’t we all just get along, Observatory, Cape Town

Which new trends or South African artists do you find inspiring at the moment?
I am thoroughly enjoying the work of Wim Botha - his exhibition at the Norval Foundation was a revelation.

Which South African deceased artist do you most admire and why?
I’ve had a long standing fascination with the work of Robert Hodgins, who passed fairly recently (2010). Sometimes he is described as an English painter, other times he is South African. Based on my reaction to some of the works that I have encountered at the Cape Town Art Fair, I would say he is top of my list at present. His use of colour is off the charts.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
An original work by Lizza Littlewort from her ‘Almost Famous’ exhibition.

How did you get started? Did you always want to be an artist?
Yes and no. There was a push and pull, and then complete submission to the rollercoaster that is art. Trying not to be an artist is like trying not to breathe (and getting choked at the same time).

What are some of the key themes you explore in your work?
When my gaze first shifted upwards, my focus was more existential and internal. This, combined with a great love for portraiture, nature and social commentary, has led to a desire to combine all the above - a form of story telling, commenting on everything from global warming to science fiction, trying to capture the current zeitgeist. The sky is a pretty good character in its own right or green screen for an entirely different story. I like how it is both abstract and literal.

What should people know about your art that they can’t tell from looking at it?
I don’t really have an answer for this one - it’s more about what people tell me they see in the work that often surprises me.

Tell us more about your creative process.
There are two concurrent processes. The first involves taking my own photographs, in so far as this is possible, and the second involves a lot of internet sourcing, news watching, general curiosity about what’s going on out there. I know when I’ve found what I need when I can’t sleep, because my mind literally refuses to switch off. Then there is the actual painting, which can take a day or two, or weeks. Sometimes years of revisiting. I’d sum up my process as extremes of either manic activity or procrastination.

What drives you as an artist?
You have this vision in your head that you wish to manifest into reality - it’s the greatest feeling when this actually happens - pure….everything.

Do you have a favourite or most meaningful work?
From the series Aria, “Der Hölle Rache Kocht In Meinem Herzen” (‘hells vengeance boils in my heart’). It was painted with such ease - no conflict or hair pulling - and just made me immediately happy when it was done.

What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
I would say the works that I’ve started recently, are making me really excited. I have yet to achieve my greatest achievement.

What are your aspirations for the future?
I would like to study further at some point and complete a Master’s degree. I would really like to have that time and environment to just really think about my work and develop a number of ideas …. see them to their endgame.