Origin + Bloom | Santie Cronje

Exhibition: 'Metamorphosis' June 2025

Diptych Dimensions: Total Width 900mm x Height 450mm

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Origin + Bloom 2020 - 2025

This Diptych brings together two paintings, both initially created in 2020. The piece on the right was painted that year, and the piece on the left, originally painted in 2020, too, was reworked as a dialogue and a reflection. 

When I first painted this series, I was aware that my work would one day become more abstract. At that time, I didn't quite have the skills or the confidence to move away from a representational style. 

The piece on the right has been retitled Origin, as this was the piece that resonated with me. I found myself returning to it often, appreciating how much I enjoyed breaking down form into 'paint action'. The reworked piece, now called Bloom, represents five years of embracing this new journey in painting. It involves letting go of strict form and allowing the paint to express movement, energy, or emotion. Over these past five years, my painting journey has felt like nurturing a garden that is now thriving and giving back.

Artist Bio

Santie Cronje is an established artist based in the beautiful South Waikato region. As a visual storyteller, her artistic process and personal experiences intertwine in her paintings. She draws inspiration from beautiful landscapes that leave a lasting impression, stories from her travels, or her journey as a young adult moving to New Zealand from South Africa in 1999. Santie has been exhibiting through galleries since 2008 and her paintings have featured in New Zealand art calendars, articles, and books, including ‘New Zealand Gallery’ and more recently, '101 Contemporary Waikato Artists' by Peter Dornauf. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Pretoria in South Africa. Her work is held in private collections both in New Zealand and abroad.