Marietjie Henning South African international acclaimed artist has been living in Mbombela for the last 25 years. Although she has never had formal training, she has always felt a passion for art and did her first oil painting at the age of 50.
The themes of her paintings have changed with the emotional ups and downs of her personal life, but sisterhood and maternity is a recurring vision that she feels an affinity to, being a grandmother to 10 children and an artistic haven for the community children. She used to start out with dark and sombre colours but recently her work represents rich and warm colours.
One of the themes she dotes on is a family of women, complete with “Gogo” (grandmother and her daughters), Sisters and children and Sisterhood. All tall, mystery figures in a misty, dawn background.
“I feel a coherence with them, a part of their Sisterhood. The shadow figures who carry their children and belongings to the streets to make a living out of selling goods that commuters would buy. I realized what strength we women have in common, to be brave and to face the world out there in spite of our circumstances at home. To confront our sorrows and be positive and brave to be able to give our best to our children and the world around us,” she says.
Marietjie’s work have been exhibited at various Art Festivals and art exhibitions all around the country as well as the 2010 Art Exhibition during the 2010 World Soccer Games, and her work have been sold as far as Sweden, Italy, Mocambique Germany, Mauritius, United Kingdom, America, Seycelles and many other countries.

“As I have never had the opportunity to study art or had any form of training in the art of painting, I thank the Lord for giving me a talent that makes me both humble and human.”

From 6 June 2009 until 3 July 2009, Marietjie’s work was exhibited at the ArtNot Terminal Gallery in Seattle America where one of her paintings “Goggo and Doris” was sold to the Patron of Art of Seattle for an amount of R50 000.

She was invited to take part in the World ArtPrize Competition with participants throughout the world that took place in America in September 2011. Her painting “Gogo Africa” was exhibited in the Plaza Towers Art Gallery.


Contests:
1. Marietjie received the 1st place in the “Africa” Contest on Fineartamerica on 2 August 2010 for “Women’s Day Celebrations in SA”.
2. “Womens Day Celebrations in SA” again received 2nd place in the competition “International Womens Day Celebrations” In March 2011.
3. “Womens Day Celebrations in SA” once again received 5th place in the contest “It went Viral” in January 2011.
4. She received the 2nd place on Fineartamerica Contest for the theme “Best Mixed Medium” in October 2010 for “Emotions”.
5. “Emotions” again received a 3rd place in the contest “Zodiac Sign-Aquarius” in February 2011.
6. In September 2010 She came 7th out of 1408 submissions in the contest with the theme “Colours” with “Gogo and the Ancestors”