Tessa Teixeira is a conceptual artist that enjoys painting, mixed media and installation. Her style is mostly expressive, leaning towards partial abstraction. She is motivated by existential philosophical ideas, that reflect on consciousness, sentience, climate change, and ecological, loss of biodiversity challenges.Plants are represented and often included in her work, as sentient collaborators in the creative process.

In her early twenties Tessa focused on projects addressing social inequalities in post-apartheid South Africa, in access to housing, and employment opportunities for marginalised socio-economic communities and she formed the ‘Joint Community schools Project’ NGO, that raised the money required to build a 12 classroom school, Besilindhile Primary in Witbank Ext 3, for school children who had been receiving informal tuition, under trees. In this period, she regularly painted privately.

Tessa completed a B prim Ed teaching degree, majoring in Art in 1991, through the University of the Witwatersrand and her self-portrait painting, was kept by the Johannesburg College of Education’s Arts department. She has since retrieved it and it is now in her personal collection. She started focusing on her art practice, based in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2009, and she participated in art semester programmes, at Art Institutions in San Francisco and London, some of which included the San Francisco Academy of Art and the University of California – Berkeley Ext in 2010, Central St Martins College of Art & Design, the  Princes Drawing School and Heatherly’s School of Art in 2011 in London and The Crown Point Press in San Francisco in 2019.

Tessa was invited to spend a month in residency at Zaratan Contemporanea in Lisbon, Portugal in 2024 and she has regularly exhibited locally and internationally since 2010, and her work is included in private and public collections. She has been featured and published in Art publications and live Artist Talk podcasts.

Please refer to her CV below for exhibitions, live artist talks, publications and Art practice development & References

A.Exhibitions / Auction

2025

• Aesthetica Art Prize 2025 – Uk – Selected for the Longlist – Exhibiting York Gallery – Sept 2025
• Art.co.za – South Africa – Selected for Artist WATCHLIST 2025 
• Klein Wereld Artfair – Rosemary Hill, Pretoria – South Africa – July 2025 

2024

• Zaratan – Art Contemporanea – Lisbon, Portugal. Footprint Risograph Group Exhibition. Dec 2024
• Zaratan – Arte Contemporanea – Lisbon, Portugal. Seeing Green : Edition 2 : ‘Orchidaceae Herbarium’. Solo Exhibition. September 2024.
• ARTE. M – Funchal, Madeira. ‘Hide Me, Steal Me, Be Nice to Me’ Group Exhibition. July 2024
• ContraFair.Joburg – Johannesburg, South Africa. ‘Step into the forest’ Solo Exhibition. May 2024 
• R.W Norton Art Gallery – Shreveport, LA, USA. Bloom 2024. Group Exhibition. March – May 2024

2023 – 2021 (Physical Group and Solo Exhibitions )

• Origin Art – Keyes Art Mile, Johannesburg, South Africa. ‘Unlock your collection’ Group Exhibition. December 2023
• Open Air Art Fair – Victoria Yards – Johannesburg, South Africa. Group Exhibition. February 2023
• GalleryONE11 – Contemporary Art Gallery – Cape Town, South Africa ‘Otherwise, Healthy’. Group Exhibition. April 2022 
• GG3 – Global 3000, Gallery for sustainable Art.Berlin, Germany. ‘1.5 Degrees’ Group Exhibition. 2021.

2023 – 2021 (Online Group Exhibitions due to COVID restrictions)

• Climate Art Collection – Non-profit based in Berlin, Germany. International collection of artworks visualising climate change. Online Group Exhibition.2023
• Roaring Artist Gallery – United States. Online Group Exhibition ‘Awakening & Furor’. 2022.
• Carbon – borders – voices – United Kingdom. Online Group Exhibition.2022
• What’s next for earth? – Stanford University, USA. ‘Thinking in systems’. Online Group Exhibition. 2022
• EcoArt project – New York, United States. Catalysing environmental awareness and climate change. Online Group Exhibition. 2021
• Mono – United Kingdom. Online Group Exhibition. 2021
• Foundwork.com – Chicago, USA. Online Group representation. 2021 
• Come outside – Norfolk, United Kingdom. Online Group Exhibition. 2021
• Latitudes online – Johannesburg, South Africa. Online Group representation.2021
• EnviroArt Gallery – Rubenstein Centre, Dukes University, Durham, North Carolina, USA. Group Online Exhibition. 2021
• Depletion – Stanford University, USA. Group Exhibition. 2021
• EcoArt space – Online Group Representation. 2021

2019 – 2012

• ARTSY Online Auction and live Auction in New York, USA. ‘AMREF HEALTH Contemporary African Art Exhibition’ Group Exhibition. 2019
• ‘Optimism’ Endless Editions Biennial – New York, USA. Catalog Project. Group Exhibition. 2018
• Witwatersrand University Museum (WAM), Johannesburg, South Africa. “Art of Lithography: A collaborative expression’. Group Show.2018
• Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. ‘Nothing stands still‘. Solo Exhibition. 2018
• BagFactoryArt – Johannesburg, South Africa. ‘SALON’ Group Exhibition. 2017
• The Fine Art Print Fair – Johannesburg, South Africa. Group Exhibition.2017
• Paddle 8 online auction and Live Auction in New York, USA. ‘AMREF HEALTH Contemporary African Art Exhibition’. Group Exhibition. 2016.
• ABSA Gallery – Johannesburg, South Africa. Group Exhibition.2016
• Jacksons Open Art Prize, United Kingdom. Longlist selected from an International Jury. 2016.
• Turbine Art Fair – Johannesburg, South Africa. Group Exhibition. 2015
• FNB Joburg Art Fair – Johannesburg, South Africa. Group Exhibition. 2015
• Joburg Fringe – Johannesburg, South Africa. Group Exhibition. 2012
• Johannesburg Art Museum – Gallery (WAM) , Johannesburg, South Africa. Group Exhibition. 2012
• State-of-the-art gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. Group Exhibition. 2012

B.Publications & Live Talks

• ‘CARE narratives’ – Guest speaker – Insights of a young ecological Artist Online Magazine & Live Podcast. June 2024
• ‘Orchidacea Herbarium’ – Live streamed Artist Talk – Zaratan Contemporanea, Lisbon, Portugal. September 2024. 
• Hidemestealnice.blog. Featured Artist. July 2024 ( Exhibition in Funchal Madeira)
• Artist Talk Magazine, Issue 24, Pages 46 – 47 – March 2023
• Aesthetica Magazine, Issue 113 – Listed in artist Directory – June 2023
• Latitudes Online feature, ‘ Curators selection’ – newsletter and social media story campaign. October 2023.
• EcoArt projectnewsletter and social media feature ‘Artist of the week‘. Dec 2021 – January 2022
• The Millennium Alliance for humanity- Stanford University initiative – ‘The hand of humans‘ article and artwork published online and featured in monthly newsletter. 25 April 2022. 
• WEAD – Women Environmental Artists Dialogue directory and magazine – United States –  November – Issue 11 – Art and Empathy – Portfolio Gallery feature. 2022
• Haus-a-rest – International art zine – Installation ‘Natures Apothecary’ published in Issue 29: Conscious Environment. 2022
• The Millennium Alliance for humanity – Stanford University initiative – ‘The hand of humans‘ article and artwork published online and featured in monthly newsletter. 2022
• Dwell Time – Arts publication reflecting on mental wellbeing, United Kingdom.2022
• Artists and Climate change – Online Publication – Article ‘ What is your tipping point for collective action?’ published and artwork featured. 2021
• Mono- Mi-Sul.com Catalogue – published by curator Aishwarya Kulkarni
• Depletion – Blog published by Michele Guieu – MAHB Global, Stanford University, USA.
• Endless Edition ‘Optimism’ biennial, Catalog project in New York. 2019 
• The Art Of Lithography: A collaborative expression of LL Editions  catalogue at  WAM (The Witwatersrand Art Museum) September 2018 – January 2019) 
• Bag Factory SALONExhibition Catalogue.2017.
• Éditions Collaborations. Catalogue, Vol 1. 2015
• Listed on the JoburgFringe.Catalogue. 2013
• Coming of Age’, 21 years of Artist proof Studio.Catalogue.2012
• The South African, Art life, Edition: Dec 2009 – Jan 2010

C.Professional Art work & Practice Development

• Crown Point Press – San Francisco, USA. Summer Etchingworkshop – 2019
• London print Studio – London, UK. Silkscreen and photopolymer – 2016
• College of Digital Photography – Johannesburg, South Africa Introduction DSLR video – 2016
• LL Editions – Johannesburg, South Africa. Lithography 2015
• Artist proof Studio’s – Johannesburg, South Africa. Etching 2015.
• Warren Editions – Cape Town, South Africa. Aquatint Etching 2015
• The Artists Press – Mpumalanga, White River, South Africa.  2014
• Market Photo workshop – Johannesburg, South Africa.Intro to photography (Completed 7 out of the 8 weeks). 2014
• The Artists Press – Mpumalanga, White River, South Africa.  2013
• Artist Proof Studio’s – Johannesburg, South Africa. Etching 2009

D.Formal Education and Institutional Short Courses

• Central St Martins College of Art & Design – Clerkenwell, London – Mixed Media, Expressive painting – 2011
• Princes Drawing School – Shoreditch, London – Still life drawing – 2011
• Hatherley’s School of Art – Chelsea, London – Still life drawing – 2011
• San Francisco Academy of Art University – San Francisco, USA – Spring semester programme of MFA: Chiaroscuro, Italian Renaissance Art History, Classical Philosophy – 2010
• University of California – Berkeley Extension – San Francisco, USA Fall semester of Post Bacc Certificate: Colour Theory, Fundamentals in drawing and painting – 2010
• University of Southern Africa – Honours Bcomm – Business Management: Marketing – 2006
• University of the Witwatersrand – Johannesburg, South Africa – B prim Ed – Art major – 1991
• Ermelo high school – Mpumalanga, Ermelo, South Africa – Matriculated – University exemption – 1987

E.References

• Oliver Antoine – Curator and Director – Origin Art, Johannesburg, South Africa. oliver@originart.biz
• Tammy Palesa Stewart – Curator – Open Air Art Fair – Victoria Yards. tammy.palesa@gmail.com
• Tom Albrecht – Curator, Artist & Director. GG3 Sustainable Gallery. kontakt@gg3.eu
• Joana Alarcoa – Curator – Insights of an Eco Artist. insightsofayoungecoartist.com
• Diana Ali – Curator – Arte.m Exhibition in Funchal, Madeira. alidiana@gmail.com
• Emily Feazel – Curator – R.W Norton Museum. efeazel@rwnaf.org