Katherine Ambrose - 1950 - Dover, England

Feeding the chickens

Cows Going Grazing

After School Games

The Deliverer Boys

About the Artist

Though born of an English father and Swedish mother in Dover, England, Kathy is now firmly rooted in Africa - its civilisation, landscape and the attendant social commentary. Labels never really apply completely but 'The South African Lowry' is in some part true, in that her paintings have created a new awareness of the beauty in common day scenes.

The interest Kathy found in South African art took a step forward when she and her late husband - an Anglican priest - settled near Rustenburg. On seeing some of Kathy's work, the famous watercolourist Bill McGill invited Kathy to join his classes. Of Bill's influence Kathy has said "Bill was a wonderful teacher who taught pure watercolour vision and technique and, best of all, took us regularly into the veld to sketch and paint". She also took life-drawing lessons from Mike Oertel.

Kathy's first solo exhibition was held in Bloemfontein in 1983 at the invitation of the O.F.S. branch of the South African Association of Arts. Kathy has been a full time South African artist since 1984.

Style & Format

Preferring to paint from live situations, Kathy has been able to document many aspects of rural and township life in her township art. This South African artist’s depiction of groups of people going about their normal life correct in posture and attitude has earned her the 'Lowryesque' mantle. Her technique leads the eye to formulate the facial expressions, which are at best hinted at in her brush and palette knife technique.

Kathy has the ability to vary the scale of individual elements within the composition yet keep the overall image meaningful in the naive style. Look also for the interaction between her subjects -  which almost encourages one to write down the conversations taking place in her South African art.

Kathy travels widely to find her subject matter in rural and school settings always sketching rather than using the crutch of photography. Most of Kathy's works are in oil, acrylic and mixed media.

The following that Kathy has extends worldwide, and comprises visitors who feel they have bought the essence of South Africa at domestic level. Though never sure where her South African artworks will eventually hang, Kathy is sure they are collected by "her sort of like-minded people".

Her beloved husband Giles passed away in 1999, leading Katherine to re-examined her lifestyle and imagery. She relocated to the Western Cape which gave her new impetus to capture the differences she noted from her native Pretoria.

Katherin Ambrose’s naïve and primitive style is unique amongst South African artists, emanating as it does from a very Eurocentric, albeit liberal, background. Her intent is to document, and in some cases chart and predict, the advancement of previously disadvantaged peoples in both rural and urban settings.

She is full of hope for the future an marvels at the ‘African-adaptation’ of ideas – the wheel barrow tipped onto its handles makes an ideal ‘African Armchair’ and is often used by roadside wood cutters from which they can view their stock and relax in-between customers.

Collected Works

Kathy’s works have been widely collected and within South Africa most institutions have bought for their collection. One of the most notable persons to collect her works within South Africa is Cyril Ramaphosa – the mainstay of CODESSA talks which brought about the transformation and who now heads up many business corporations.
Kathy’s main fear is to leave one of her many subjects with one or half a leg. Should you find this in your chosen work it is indeed a rarity and just an oversight.

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