The Elders | Santie Cronje

'We have a family of San Pedro' cactuses in our garden that Shane planted, and for me personally it is a connection to our elders, our ancestors and a strong connection to mother nature. They are a wonderful structure in our garden and a symbol of what home means to me. A place where I feel I belong.' Santie

With a lineage dating back millions of years, the San Pedro cactus, or Echinopsis pachanoi, is believed to have originated in the Andes Mountains of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. 
Its distinctive ribbed structure rises from arid soils, symbolizing, for indigenous South American communities, the steps of spiritual ascension, guiding seekers to higher realms of consciousness.

Dimensions: h220mm x w165mm

Medium: Acrylic on panel, framed in a solid timber frame.

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.