about thE artist - original art by Monika steinhart-klein
I am Monika Steinhart-Klein - a German-born artist who traded the familiar landscape of Europe for a raw beauty and vibrant energy of Cape Town, South Africa. From my studio in Hout Bay, I paint the things I feel most deeply: movement, tension, contrast and the electricity of life in colour.
My work is rooted in contemporary abstract painting - bold, emotional and unapologetically alive. I do not paint what I see, I paint what I feel. Each canvas is a release - a space where cultures collide, where restlessness finds form, and where joy takes shape in abstract expression.
Over the years my work has been exhibited across South Africa and internationally. My collections - from neon-charged TIA Edition to the deeply personal Bridging Cultures series - speak to collectors who are drawn to energy, colour and authentic artistic vision.
If you are looking to buy art from Cape Town (or Stuttgart/Esslingen/Germany), I would love to connect.
ARTIST STATEMENT When the silence becomes overwhelming and my restless legs demand attention, I reach for paints, brushes, and canvas. The colours begin to speak. They enjoy one another’s company, endure tensions, and radiate with joy. In their struggle for space, they either find harmony or, through conflict, create distance. They yearn for solitude or seek connection, craving closeness, peace, or calm. They live in silence. These are the moments that sustain me — the ones I need to "caress" my soul and soothe my restless legs. My journey as an artist is a pathway to that inner quiet. I found this path four years ago during the coronavirus pandemic 2020/2021. The world stood still, but my legs didn’t. I told myself, “Dare to do it, just do it. Keep going, discover, explore, enjoy, and have fun. Live and create—create and live—in silence.” One customer asked me, how long it took to paint the artwork she bought. My answer: 66 years. That`s my age, now. It is never to late to discover your talent and passion.
BIO
- Starting in 2008: First painting experience in Germany with Michael Sigle, Anthroposophic Artist, Acrylic on Paper,
- Stuttgart 2010: Study at Private College of Waldorfpedagogic, Stuttgart, including art lessons in painting, clay art.
- 2021: Art Class at Paula Vervaille, Hout Bay, Oil on Paper
- 2022-today: own workspace in Hout Bay, Acrylic on Canvas, MSK Art Studio at Fine Art Africa Gallery
- 2023: Art Class at Paula Vervaille, Hout Bay, Oil on Paper
- 2025: Member of Rise & Repaint, an international female and non-binary artist network, US I Canada I South Africa I Europe I
EXHIBITIONS
- The Hyde Hotel, Seapoint, Cape Town May 2023 - May 2024.
- Champagner Crew/Galerie 13, Esslingen, Germany, June 2023 - May 2024
- PromenArt as part of the Kunye-Foundation 9/2023, Seapoint Promenade Cape Town
- Art in the Park, SASA, 11/2023, Rondebosch Park,
- Cape Town First Thursday Gallery Opening, The Grand Daddy Hotel Longstreet, Cape Town, 2024,
- 2024 Fine Art Africa Gallery Hout Bay, Workspace and Gallery,
- 2024/2025 SAA-Group Exhibition at Ghuba-Gallery Feb 2025, Hout Bay and Llandudno Art Fair Group
- Exhibition: Das Ganze im Detail, Lindenberg, Germany, June 2025
- Art Fair Berlin, Germany: Bridging Cultures, October 2025
- Galerie Norbert Nieser, Stuttgart, Germany: Solo Exhibition June 2026