Lisette Forsyth

Born in Windhoek, Namibia, in 1968, Lisette Forsyth is a contemporary South African artist based in Cape Town.

After studying Graphic Design at Cape Technikon, she built a successful creative career before dedicating herself to painting full time. Her background in design remains evident in the confident compositions, balance and visual rhythm that characterise her work today.
Lisette has become known for transforming discarded and historical materials into richly layered contemporary artworks. Vintage Cape maps, government gazettes, weather charts, newspapers, engineering plans, books, rusted steel and reclaimed timber all become part of the creative process. Rather than concealing their age, she embraces every crease, stain and printed word, allowing each surface to contribute to the final narrative. Her paintings celebrate the beauty found in ordinary moments. Friends gathered around a table, commuters, children, workers and solitary figures all become subjects through which she explores memory, place and our shared human experience. Humour often sits comfortably alongside quiet reflection, giving the work an honesty that resonates with collectors.

Over the past two decades, Lisette Forsyth has exhibited widely across South Africa and her work has become highly regarded among private and corporate collectors both locally and abroad. Her paintings continue to evolve while remaining instantly recognisable through their distinctive use of reclaimed materials and expressive figurative style. Today, she is recognised as one of South Africa's most distinctive mixed media artists.

What is your favourite film of all time?
Each decade has it’s own film: the 80s The Outsiders; 90s Jesus of Motreal; 00s Little Miss Sunshine; and 2010 District 9.

What music are you currently listening to and why?
Bon Ivor because its easy listening and beautiful. When I am in the studio I listen to Fine Music radio, it is relaxing , undemanding has very little advertising. The long pieces help sustain a train of thought and it is also a way to keep in touch with what is going on culturally.
Most recently Listening to YO YO MAR and LP .

Which living artists do you most admire and why?
Paul Edmunds, his work is clever and original.

Which deceased artist do you most admire and why?
Brett Whitely because of his loose style and innovative use of materials.

Which exhibition that you have visited made the greatest impact on you and why?
Harry Wichat at the Smelik Stokking Galleries in Amsterdam. I loved his loose brush stroke and use of colour – it could also have been the hash chocolate.
Most recent exhibition that made an impact was work of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye in Munich, her use of colour. Stone cold sober.

What is the question you get asked most frequently about your work and how do you answer it?
Question I get asked most is where do I find my surfaces. I scavenge.

What/ who inspired you to be an artist?
My Father, when I asked what I should do after leaving school he suggested I do what makes me happy.

Can you tell us about where you make your art and what, if any, the significance this location has.
I have a studio in Woodstock, an industrial part of Cape Town. I feel a sense of productivity in the air. I also find the people that live and work here have a style and grace despite their limited resources,every move languid and rhythmic. The weathered and graffitied buildings are also an ever changing inspiration.

What do you like most about being an artist?
To have an outlet for my creative energy.

What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
Seeing a commission piece bring tears of joy.