Hannelie Swart, a visual artist and creative industry specialist with an extraordinary eye for the arts, is paving the way for future artists.

She is the acting executive manager of the CoEs Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture support services and a manager in the metro’s creative industries, with over 30 years of experience.

Her journey in the creative space began as a child in Benoni and Springs, where she spent countless hours with a pencil in hand, translating the world around her onto paper.

“Art was never just a subject in school for me. It was a way to explore and make sense of life. My father, also a good artist, encouraged my curiosity and nurtured my early experiments, always,” Hannelie said.

Drawn to the idea of healing others, she initially wanted to be a doctor but soon realised that art held a profound capacity to heal. This fascination led her to study visual art and, eventually, the wider creative industry.

In 1984, she studied towards a BA Honours in Visual Arts and an Honours in Cultural History in 1991 at the University of Pretoria. She later studied at Unisa, completing a Master’s in Visual Arts from 2015 to 2018.

Hannelie describes her artistic style as rooted in surrealism with a fascination for exploring the subconscious and emotional landscapes.

“Early in my career, I expressed this primarily through painting, using colour, form and texture to bring to life imagined worlds and inner reflections. Over the years, my artmaking has evolved to embrace multimedia and new media art,” she said.

She reflected on some of her challenges when trying to build a career in the creative industry and how she overcame them.

“The life of a freelance visual artist can be unpredictable, with irregular income and limited resources, which made it challenging to commit to my art while earning a living.

“To navigate this, I built a career in arts management, which allowed me to work within the creative sector, supporting communities, developing skills programmes and managing arts initiatives while maintaining financial security,” she explained.

Hannelie is inspired by her emotional landscape, using her vulnerability as a starting point for her art.

“My practice is a way to understand and process my experiences, to give form to emotions that are often complex or intangible. Art, for me, is a mirror and a bridge: It reflects my inner world, while connecting me to others through shared human experience.”

She offered words of advice for young artists who would like to turn their love for art into sustainable careers.

“Follow your passion, experiment fearlessly and develop your unique voice, but also master the business side of art by building skills, seeking mentorship and engaging your community,” she concluded.