Richardt Strydom is a practising artist and creative that used to be Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design at the North-West University in Potchefstroom.
Strydom currently lives and works in Johannesburg.
When studying in the early 1990s, Strydom took inspiration from South African Resistance Art of the late 1980s. Ever since Strydom’s art has explored the boundaries of cultural and art traditions and identity, as these intersect with everyday life. South African Resistance Art of the late 1980s and early 1990s has had a lasting influence on his oeuvre and art making.
As an artist, Richardt Strydom has participated in numerous national and international art as well as design exhibitions. Recent examples include: Design of Dissent, School of Visual Arts, New York (2005) and Payne Gallery, Pennsylvania, USA (2007); Boere Kitch (2007) Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (curated by Gordon Froud); Oor die einders van die bladsy (2010), Stellenbosch and FADA Gallery Johannesburg, and L'origine du monde (2010) at Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom (curated by Paul Boulitreau). Strydom’s first solo exhibition A verbis ad verbera – From Words to Blows was part of the official 2010 Aardklop National Arts Festival programme. One of Strydom's works were also included in The Design of Dissent: Socially and Politically Driven Graphics.
Strydom has received a number of awards including an ABSA l’Atelier Merit Award (1997), a SASOL New Signatures Merit Award (1997), Overall Winner of the SASOL New Signatures Competition in 2008, and Outstanding Visual Artist Award, Stellenbosch Woordfees 2010. for an artist book, Ad Hominem, in collaboration with Jaco Burger. He was co-curator (2004–2005) as well as curator (2006–2008) of the Aardklop National Arts Festival visual arts programme.
Strydom’s work is included in private and public collections including the UNISA Art Collection and NWU Art Collection.
In 2010 he received his Master's degree in Art History from the North-West University. His Masters’ dissertation offers a postcolonial reading of the depiction of Afrikaner ancestry in the works of the 19th century explorer artist Charles Davidson Bell.
2016 BLEEK, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg.
2014 BLEEK: photographic and audiovisual works 2010 – 2014, Die Gallery, North-West, University, Potchefstroom.
2011 A verbis ad verbera II – From words to blows II, Artspace, Parkwood, Johannesburg.
2010 A verbis ad verbera – From words to blows, Snowflake building, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2014 TWENTY: Contemporary South African Art, Turchin Centre, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina USA.
2009 Design of Dissent, The Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar.
2007 Design of Dissent, Payne Gallery of Moravian College, Pennsylvania, USA.
2005 Design of Dissent, School of Visual Arts, New York, USA.
2016 Performing Wo/Man, Die Galery, North-West, University, Potchefstroom.
2016 Lords of Winter, Equus Gallery, Cavalli Estate, Stellenbosch.
2015 The Games People Play, Aardklop, Botanical Gardens Gallery, NWU. Potchefstroom.
2015 Letters to the Past or the Future, Trent Gallery, Pretoria.
2015 TWENTY: Contemporary South African Art, University of Johannesburg Gallery, Johannesburg.
2015 TWENTY: Contemporary South African Art, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria.
2015 Aphrodisiac, Equus Gallery, Cavalli Estate, Stellenbosch.
2014 Performing Wo/Man, University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Aucklandpark, Johannesburg.
2014 Showcase 3, Bayliss Gallery, Norwood, Johannesburg.
2014 But is it Art? Art Lovers 1932, Longstreet, Waterkloof, Pretoria.
2014 Salon 1, Upstairs at Bamboo, Melville, Johannesburg.
2014 Art - A Different Venue, a Different Time – Literally, Dawid's Choice Gallery Pop-up venue, Sandhurst, Johannesburg.
2013 Interruptions, University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Aucklandpark, Johannesburg. (Exhibition in aid of George Bizos Saheti Scholarship and Bursary Fund).
2013 NWU Art Collection: Looking back while moving forward. Botanical Garden Gallery, North-West, University, Potchefstroom.
2013 Five Photographers, Dawid’s Choice Gallery, Sandown Estate, Sandton.
2013 Reflective Conversations, Die Gallery, North-West, University, Potchefstroom.
2013 Velvet, Prince Vincent Building, Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn.
2013 Tom waits for no one, Prince Vincent Building, Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn.
2012 This Place/Displace, University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Aucklandpark, Johannesburg.
2012 Dismotief, Potchefstroom City Hall, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2012 Outsider, The Media Mill, Milpark, Johannesburg.
2012 A shot to the arse, Michaelis Galleries, UCT, Cape Town.
2012 Rendezvous Focus Painting, Innibos Arts Festival, Nelspruit.
2012 Rendezvous Focus Painting, Oliewenhuis Kunsmuseum, Bloemfontein.
2012 Ik ben een Afrikander III, Prince Vincent Building, Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn.
2012 Rendezvous Focus Painting, Michaelis Galleries, UCT, Cape Town.
2011 Rendezvous Focus Painting, Alumni Hall, NWU Campus, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2011 Lens, SASOL art museum, Stellenbosch University.
2010 L'origine du monde, Snowflake Building, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2010 Oor die einders van die bladsy, Africana-Room of the University of Stellenbosch’s Gericke Library, Woordfees, Stellenbosch; Die Gallery, North-West, University, Potchefstroom, and FADA Gallery, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg.
2009 STREEK, Potchefstroom Museum, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2008 SASOL New Signatures, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
2007 STREEK, Potchefstroom Museum, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2007 Boere Kitch, Principia College Klein Karoo Nasional Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn
2007 Blindspot, Die Gallery, North-West, University, Potchefstroom.
2004 geslag, Snowflake gebou, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2003 Mini(20)maal, Die Gallery, North-West University
2003 Gesondaar, Snowflake gebou, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom
1999 ABSA Atelier, African Window, Pretoria.
1999 ABSA Atelier Winners 1986–1999, ABSA Towers, Johannesburg.
1998 Volkskas Atelier, Pietersburg
1998 International Human Rights Exhibition, The Old Fort, Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
1998 Buttons Exhibition, Civic Gallery, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
1998 Im-material-ism, The open Window, Pretoria.
1997 SASOL New Signatures, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria.
1997 Volkskas Atelier, Oliewenhuis Bloemfontein.
1997 I survived… unofficial performance at the opening of the 2nd Johannesburg Biennale, Newtown, Johannesburg.
1997 Fifty Stories, Top of Africa, Carlton Centre, Johannesburg.
1997 A little big thing, Thompson Gallery, Melville,
1996 Steel, Bensusan Museum of Photography, Museum Africa, Newtown, Johannesburg.
1995 Images of Change, Mmabana Cultural Centre, Mmabatho.
1995 Inside/Outside, Rembrandt van Rijn Gallery, Market Theatre Complex, Newtown, Johannesburg.
1995 Volkskas Atelier, University of Stellenbosch Gallery, Stellenbosch.
1995 Kempton Park/Tembisa Fine Arts Competition, Kempton Park.
1995 WITS Student Exhibition, Gertrude Posal Gallery, Senate House, WITS University, Braamfontein.
2012 Dismotief, Aardklop National Arts Festival, City Hall, Potchefstroom.
2008 Braam Kruger – No More Holy Cows (Memorial Exhibition), Snowflake Building, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2007 STREEK, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2005 Skoot – street photography exhibition, Aardklop National Arts Festival Potchefstroom.
2004 Suffering of War, Alumni Hall, North-West University, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom.
2010 Outstanding visual artist award, Stellenbosch Woordfees
2008 Overall Winner, SASOL New Signatures
1997 Volkskas Atelier – Merit Award
1997 SASOL New Signatures – Merit Award
1995 Highly Commended, Kempton Park/Tembisa Fine Arts Competition.
