Bartlett prolific artist’s first solo exhibit opens today

The exhibition is entitled “Reflection” and is an array of different works and sizes. It focuses mainly on landscapes, which is a reflection of Breganski’s love for the beauty of South Africa.

“There are also a few charcoal figures and portraits, as well as a few of my older works,” she explained.

• Inspiration

Breganski said her work is inspired by places she has experienced and which are ingrained in her.

“I have fallen in love with our country’s beauty many times while taking back roads to faraway places – all of it connecting us to something bigger than ourselves and begging us to just breathe, pause and reflect.”

In each of Breganski’s expressive oil landscapes she shows everything necessary to make these places familiar and real, but also holds back just enough to allow the viewer to make it their own; their own place to reflect.

“I like to have a ‘feeling’ when I start a painting. It’s this feeling that decides the colour scheme and composition, which is generally a massive sky with a small area of the foreground. After that, the painting pretty much evolves itself.

“Photographs are merely a reference and reminder and never dictate my work.”

Breganski defines her work as contemporary/realism art and said she works a lot with palette knives, which allow her to make very expressive, textural marks.

“Stormy, dramatic skies are probably what I am most drawn to in a landscape.”

• SA Society of Artists

Even though she has been selling her art professionally for the past 15 years, Haydee’s journey as an artist first took a serious turn while she was living in Cape Town from 2010 to 2015.

“This is where I met my teacher, well-known Cape Town artist Laura Wenman, who quickly became a mentor and friend.

“I joined the South African Society of Artists and exhibited regularly with them, and also took part in group exhibitions and exhibited with various art societies in Cape Town.”

Her work is still represented by The Cape Gallery and Lindy Van Niekerk galleries in Cape Town, Etchings Gallery in Durban and The Henry George Gallery in Johannesburg.

The Henry George Gallery is where her exhibition opens this week.

“I was first put into contact with The Henry George Gallery by fellow artist and friend Jenny Reyneke. Curator Darryl George Gray really liked my work, which was when we decided on a solo exhibition.

“It’s been almost a year of working extensively and building up a body of work solely for the exhibition, which is my first solo exhibition.

Breganski, who grew up in Brakpan and completed her schooling in Springs, is a qualified hairdresser and has represented South Africa in the Schwarzkopf International World Championships.

• Exhibition details

Haydee Breganski’s “Reflection” solo exhibition opens at The Henry George Gallery, 45 6th Street, Parkhurst, tomorrow (October 26) at 6pm and runs until November 12.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/HaydeeB.art/about/?ref=page_internal for more about this Boksburg artist.