LIBERTY BATTSON

(b. 1990 Benoni, South Africa)

Liberty Battson is inspired by Modernism, and its theories around abstraction and the pursuit for ‘truth’ and ‘true art’. Battson has used Dadaism in particular as her source of inspiration, producing ready-mades and using unconventional ways of transferring paint to canvas. Battson focused on celebrating abstraction and the century since the birth of the idea in visual art circles. Battson focuses on the aesthetic of abstraction to conceptually address bigger issues. It is in the audience’s interest to decode the artwork through the playful engagement. 

Battson is a conceptual artist born and raised in Benoni, South Africa. She matriculated from St. Dunstan's College in 2009 and obtained her BA(FA) with distinction for her work with automotive paint on canvas in 2013 from the University of Pretoria.

Battson won the 2014 ABSA L’Atelier competition, with her piece ‘Odds of an Artist Like Me’, a diptych in 2K automotive paint on canvas, which is her preferred medium. As part of her prize, Battson won a 6 month residency at Cité Internationale des Artes in Paris, and a solo exhibition in South Africa in 2016. Notably, Battson was selected to exhibit at the 2022 Dak’Art Biennale in Senegal, with collective Tripe. 

QUALIFICATIONS

2013 BA Fine Arts University of Pretoria, with distinction

        Standox Qualified spray painter (level 2)

EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS

2024 Winter Collection, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

2023 What I Feel When I Think About The Cosmos, group show, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

2022 Yada-Yada Club, solo, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

        Dak’Art Biennale, with collective Tripe, Senegal

        Summer, group show, Everard Read, London, UK

2021 Spring Show, group exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa 

        Offering, group exhibition, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa 

        In Conversation, group exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2020 The Fix, solo, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

        Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From, Aga Khan Museum, Canada
        On Being, group exhibition, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

        Unprecedented Lines, solo, Cubicle Series, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2019 Art’s OK, solo, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

        TRIPE, collaborative installation, Absa Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

        Don’t ask me where I am from, Galleria delle Prigioni, Treviso, Italy
        Winter Collection, Everard Read, Franschhoek, South Africa

2018 Dada Data, solo, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

        Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

        FNB Joburg Art Fair, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

        Innibos National Arts Festival, Nelspruit, South Africa

2017 Off the wall: A Group Sculpture Show, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa

        Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

        Southern Abstract, Everard Read, London, UK

        Inside out, two-person show, Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn, South Africa

        Curator of The Confessional, Absa Gallery and KKNK, South Africa

        Spectrum, group exhibition at CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

        Truth Sleuth, solo exhibition at CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

        FNB Art Fair, Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa, South Africa

        Winter Collection, group exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town

2016 Solo exhibition at Absa Gallery , South Africa

        Venice Architecture Biennale (Cool Capital) 

        FNB Joburg Art Fair, Johannesburg , South Africa

        Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg, South Africa

2015 Solo exhibition at ABSAKlein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn, South Africa

        Nominee for Absa KANA Award, South Africa 

        Solo Exhibition at Clover Aardklop National Art Festival, South Africa

        The Summer Exhibition, Knysna Fine Art Gallery, South Africa 

2014 Absa l’Atelier overall winner 

        Cool Capital Biennale

2013 PPC young concrete sculpting awards 2012 Fans Favourite winner, South Africa

        Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg, South Africa 

        SASOL New Signatures 2013 merit award winner, South Africa 

        Thami Mnyele Fine Arts painting merit award winner, South Africa 

RESIDENCIES

Two-Month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris 2013-2014, awarded by the University of Pretoria.

Seven-month return to Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris 2015 in conjunction with the Absa L’Atelier first prize.

Two-week residency at Mas de Gravieres, Provence, France 2018.

Curator of a three-week residency at Mas de Gravieres, Provence, France 2019 awarded by the organization.

COLLECTIONS

Battson’s work is represented in notable collections such as Nando's Corporate Collection, Spier Collection, Telkom, Sasol, Ellerman House and Absa as well as numerous private collections.