Hester Badenhorst, born in 1972, currently resides in Pretoria, South Africa. She has been painting and drawing since she could hold a pencil. After matriculating in 1989 with a distinction in Visual Arts, Hester initially planned to study Fine Art. However, coming from a career-focused family, she chose a more practical path, opting for a degree in Town and Regional Planning. She specialised in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), where she created maps and performed spatial analysis on digital platforms.
GIS turned out to be both creative and intellectually stimulating for Hester. Over the past 30 years, she has crafted numerous beautiful infographic maps for public and private clients. In 2021, she decided to merge her map-making expertise with her artistic passions, integrating elements like contours, relief, town layouts, and aerial photography into her artwork.
Her art can be described as contemporary mixed media, often incorporating recognisable images of people and maps that resonate with viewers. Each piece tells a story, exploring themes like social deprivation, decolonisation, technological progress, or existential questions. Hester frequently incorporates recycled materials, such as teabag paper, into her mixed media work, using them symbolically to enhance the narratives within her art.
