Michele Rolstone graduated from Michaelis School for Fine Art, UCT in 2010. After a brief foray in the illustration and film industries, she opened the first African branch of Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School (an international brand of burlesque life drawing events). She joined as a student at Intaglio Studio in 2013, and was working as a printmaker from the studio by 2015. In 2019 Rolstone had moved to Johannesburg to join the artist community at August House in the Johannesburg CBD, establishing her own printmaking studio there.
Rolstone’s prints have been accepted into a number of International Printmaking Biennales and print exchanges. One such submission was selected for further exhibition in Harlem, NYC, while another is now in the collection of the Muzeum Miasta Ostrowa Wielkopolskiego, Poland.
During the lockdown of 2020, Rolstone expanded her practice to collaborative curatorial projects. The first, Incognito Art House, was featured on Latitudes Online (2020-2021). “a short philosophy on medium”, followed in October 2021, at AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.
In 2021 Rolstone was selected for the Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Talent Unlocked programme. One of the works produced for this programme is now in the First Rand Collection following a successful auction at Strauss & Co.
Rolstone attended an extended residency the Arteles Creative Centre in Finland Sept/Oct 2022, returning for a three month residency under the alumni programme May-July 2023.
She was awarded a certificate of artistic achievement by the Luxembourg Art Prize December 2022.
Solo Sections:
2020 - As Above So Below - Mini Solo Exhibition in the home of the Swiss Consul General, Cape Town.
2019 - As Above So Below - Association of Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery, 35 Church Street, Cape Town.
2018 - Subliminal Sublime | Subliminaal Subliem – Exhibited as part of the Visual Arts Program at the University of Stellenbosch Woordfees (Literary festival), US Museum, Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch
Residencies:
2023 - Arteles Creative Centre, Alumni Programme, May/Jun/Jul Finland.
2022 - Arteles Creative Centre, - Back to Basics Programme extended residency Sept/Oct - Finland.
Awards and Certificates
2022 - Luxembourg Art Prize, Certificate of Artistic Achievement.
Biennales and Print Exchanges:
2018 - Green Door Printmaking Studios - 10th International Print Exchange; http://www.internationalprintexchange.org/
2017 - Selected for the Printmaker’s Showcase second International Print exchange; http://www.getimprinted.org/
2016 - 16th International Biennale of Small Graphics and Exlibris accompanied by printed catalogue – Muzeum Miasta Ostrowa Wielkopolskiego; Ostrów Weilkopolski, Poland
2015 - Selection of Works from the 4th International Footprint Biennale Exhibited in the JVS Project Space, Harlem, New York.
2014 - 4th International Footprint Biennale – Centre For Contemporary Printmaking, CT, USA
2013 - 9th International Miniature Print Biennale – Centre for Contemporary Printmaking, CT, USA
Collections
First Rand Collection, Johannesburg, South Africa
Muzeum Miasta Ostrowa Wielkopolskiego; Poland
Selected Art Fairs:
2020 - Investec Cape Town Art Fair – AVA Gallery, CTICC, Cape Town.
2017 - Turbine Art Fair – Carol Lee Fine Art, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg.
2014 - Johannesburg Art Fair – SA Print Gallery, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.
Curatorial/Administrative Projects
2021 - a short philosophy on medium - Group Exhibition co-curated with Henrietta Scholtz at AVA Gallery, Church Street, Cape Town.
2020 - Incognito Arthouse - Artist run, experimental curatorial initiative co-founded by Fleur de Bondt and Johan Stegmann; featured on Latitudes Online.
Publishing (Printmaking)
2021 - The Problem with South African Contemporary art is…? - Portfolio of etchings and linocuts by nine artists as part of a broader project under the same title, Organised by Meta Foundation, Funded by the National Arts Council.
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2023
Liewe Land! III - Curated by Dineke Orton, University of Johannesburg Gallery, Johannesburg.
2022
Too Many Dinner Parties - A relational conversation about presence - Curated by Sara Hallatt as part of the Open Studios Joburg programme, Doornfontein, Johannesburg.
Liewe Land! II - Curated by Dineke Van der Walt as part of the Klein Karoo Nationale Kunste Fees visual arts programme, Oudshoorn.
2021
Sempiternal - Lizamore and Associates, Fairland, Johannesburg
Liewe Land! - Curated by Dineke Van Der Walt, Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria.
RMB Talent Unlocked - Curated by Londi Modiko, Circa Gallery, Everard Read, Jellicoe Ave, Rosebank, Johannesburg.
The cultural life of spaces - Curated by Carlyn Strydom in association with Meta Foundation as part of the Cape Town Collab between August House and various galleries in Cape Town, AVA Gallery, Church Street, Cape Town.
2020
Don’t Look Away - August House Studios Online Exhibition in response to Covid19.
The Studio is a Sacred Space - August House Studios Online Exhibition in response to Covid19 Lockdown.
2019
Botanica II - curated by Adele Van Heerden, art.b gallery, The Arts Association of Bellville, Carl Van Aswegen Street, Bellville, Cape Town
Void - First Rand Pop-Up Exhibition, curated by Togo Ntokozo Langa of MM Art House, 4 Merchant Place, Sandton, Johannesburg.
Bibliotheca – Culmination of the Artist’s Career Bootcamp Programme facilitated by Art Source South Africa, hosted by The Bag Factory Artist Studios and funded by the National Arts Council. Curated by Bridget Modema, Sharon Moses and Bruce Bowale, Fordsburg, Johannesburg.
The Printer’s Painting – The Artist’s Proof Studio, Castle Street, Cape Town.
Crumbling Contours – The Artist’s Proof Studio at Craft and Graft, Gordon Street, Cape Town.
2018
Universal Coherance - The Opening of Art on Avenues Gallery, Corner Drama and Caledon Street, Somerset West
#Paper - Curated by Ilse Nieman and Hugo De Villiers, ArtB Gallery, The Arts Association of Bellville, Carl Van Aswagen Street, Cape Town
Botanica - Curated by Adele van Heerden, art.b gallery, The Arts Association of Bellville, Carl Van Aswegen Street, Bellville, Cape Town
The Grand Exhibition - Rust en Vrede Gallery, Wellington Street, Durbanville, Cape Town
2017
Dawn Breathes Gold – ClemenGold Charity Auction, Upstairs @ Bamboo, Melville, Johannesburg
Art on Paper, Kalk Bay Modern, Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town.
Collaborations
2018 - Judy Woodborne, "The Fabric of the World" - collaborative glass cloche sculptures included in Woodborne's solo exhibition at Lizamore & Associates, Parkwood, Johannesburg.
2018 – Contributed to a section on linocut under Intaglio Studio for an educational video accompaniment to the exhibition Ink on Paper, hosted by La Motte Wine Estate, produced by Leon Van Rooyen and La Motte Wine Estate.