Painting to preserve: Julie Ah-Fa’s mission through art
Each brushstroke tells a story of nature, resilience, and the urgent need for conservation.
At Alliance Française of Johannesburg, botanical artist Julie Ah-Fa invites audiences into a world where art and conservation meet with quiet intensity and bold imagination.
Her exhibition, Entre la Réunion, l’Afrique du Sud (Between Reunion Island and South Africa), reflects a life shaped by two landscapes she calls home. On display is a striking collection of botanical works that capture the fragile beauty of plants from both regions – some celebrated, others endangered and often overlooked. Among them are six award-winning pieces previously exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society in London, where they earned a gold medal, a judges’ special award, and the people’s choice accolade.
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This Northcliff resident’s journey into botanical art began with a love for beauty. Orchids and roses are the obvious muses, but over time, her work deepened into something more urgent. “We have a mission,” she said, as she implied that it is through her practice that she can draw attention to species that may not survive without care and protection. Each brushstroke becomes an act of preservation. Each painting a quiet protest against disappearance.
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Her process is meditative, almost reverent. In painting, she finds stillness, but also connection to the plant, the scientists and nature lovers who share their knowledge, and the viewer who encounters the work. “You fall in love with the plant,” she explains, describing how every subject reveals its own personality.
One such subject, the delicate Myosotis de Bourbon, grows in the harsh, almost otherworldly terrain of La Plaine des Sables on Reunion Island. Its resilience is shown through it thriving in volcanic sand and, arguably, mirrors the spirit of Ah-Fa’s work: Fragile yet enduring. Quiet yet powerful.
Through workshops and exhibitions, she extends that passion outward, encouraging others to see, to learn, and to care. Her hope is simple but profound – that people leave, not only feeling calm and inspired, but awakened to the beauty and urgency of the natural world.
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