At The Academy, we believe that the story behind the work is as powerful as the piece itself. Few artists embody that truth more completely than Arlene. Her art is not simply seen. It is felt. It does not shout for attention. It resonates. Across more than four decades of practice, Arlene has quietly and masterfully built a body of work that invites stillness, contemplation, and profound emotional connection.

Born in Johannesburg and formally trained under the iconic Robert Hodgins, Arlene’s career began with a passion not only for painting but also for education. In the 1970s and 80s, she shaped the South African art landscape from the ground up, teaching, mentoring, and developing programs that opened doors for generations of artists. But it was her own visual language, deeply intuitive and unapologetically honest, that would eventually draw the world’s attention.

Arlene’s work has evolved through many chapters, geographically, intellectually, and spiritually. From Johannesburg to the Netherlands and ultimately Cape Town, she has constantly redefined her practice without losing the core of what makes her vision unique. Her art is layered with memory, place, and a deep interrogation of identity. Her early pieces often carried socio-political weight, while her more recent work reflects a quiet, almost meditative surrender. She is an artist painting not to explain, but to reveal.

She has exhibited in some of South Africa’s most iconic institutions, from the Everard Read Gallery to the Market Theatre Gallery. She has created large-scale site-specific installations, collaborated across disciplines, and been commissioned by cultural cornerstones like Vodacom and Spier. Her portrait of Mandela, a two meter work held in the Spier Collection, is a powerful symbol of her commitment to art that speaks not just to the eye, but to the soul.

And yet, despite her accolades, what defines Arlene most is her humility. Her paintings are emotional landscapes, works that feel simultaneously universal and deeply personal. She often quotes Tarkovsky, who wrote that art is a kind of sacrifice, a spiritual bond formed through shared vulnerability. That sentiment echoes through every brushstroke and every composition. Her recent return to painting after a two-year self-imposed break has ushered in a new chapter. A turning inward. A surrender.

At The Academy, we are honored to share Arlene's work. To us, she is more than an artist. She is a poet in pigment, a guide through the spaces we do not always have words for.

Because when her paintings speak, they do so with a voice that stays with you long after you have walked away.