RENÉE ROSSOUW

Renée Rossouw (b. 1985) is an artist, designer and architect based in Cape Town. Graphic, bold and colourful, Rossouw’s artworks are informed by a vast personal library of shapes and patterns – observed, recorded, transformed and abstracted over the years and stored in sketchbooks, on walls and inside plastic boxes. After obtaining a master’s degree in architecture in 2009, Rossouw was one of 13 students selected for the prestigious master’s programme in product design at European Design Labs, Madrid under director Jaime Hayon. Highlights include collaborations with IKEA in 2017 and 2019, participation in the Venice Biennale, Milan Saloni di Mobile, Madrid Art Fair, Moscow Design Week, Design Indaba; selection as 100% Design South Africa’s Feature Designer and recipient of the Best Product Design award in 2015. She is also a lecturer at UCT’s School of Architecture and has delivered talks at Design Indaba and Madrid Design Net Conference.

EDUCATION

• 2010 Masters in Product Design at European Design Labs, Madrid, Spain

• 2009 Masters of Architecture (M.Arch Prof) at University of Cape Town, South Africa

• 2008 Bachelor of Architecture Honours (B.Arch Hons) at University of Cape Town, South Africa

• 2006 Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) at University of Cape Town, South Africa

COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS

• 2022 – Commissioned to create the Media24 News Excellence Awards

• 2019 – One of twelve designers from the African Continent selected for the African design collection, IKEA.

• 2018 Selected to design for IKEA’s Vitality range, to be launched in 2019

• 2015 Selected to the Feature designer for 100% Design Fair in Johannesburg, South Africa.

• 2015 Selected to be Oppikoppi Music Festival’s Resident Artist of the Year.

• 2015 Award Best Product Design for 100% Design South Africa Awards

• 2014 Designed pattern installation for Spier Secret Courtyard Pop Up Project

• 2012 Selected as one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans to watch

• 2011 Winner of the DFA My Town Short Film & Documentary Competition

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

• 2023 History, Memory, Geography. The Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

• 2020 Stillness. WORLDART, Cape Town, South Africa

• 2019 FOLKLORE. Group Exhibition. Salon 91, Cape Town South Africa

• 2018 GEON. Group Exhibition. WORLDART, Cape Town, South Africa.

• 2018 Skrif. Group Exhibition. Woordfees, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

• 2017 FOLLY. Group exhibition. Smith Studio, Cape Town, South Africa.

• 2017 Abstract. Group exhibition. Youngblood Gallery, Cape Town South Africa.

• 2017 Hour work. Group exhibition. Voorkamer Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.

• 2016 Simboliek. Solo exhibition. Voorkamer Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.

• 2016 Sketch. Group exhibition. Smith Studio, Cape Town, South Africa.

• 2016 Between stars and tracks. Group exhibition. The Project Room, Namibia.

• 2015 Two. Group exhibition. Smith Studio, Cape Town, South Africa.

• 2013 In Good Company. Group exhibition. Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town, South Africa.