Eltham, Melbourne

classes: Collage • Print Making • Photography

5.0 (57)

Women-owned

My name is Rochelle Van Der Merwe, a multidisciplinary artist with a special interest in storytelling through the written word, contemporary collage, gelli plate printing and fine art photography. I practise and teach from my gorgeously enchanting mudbrick studio at the legendary Montsalvat (Eltham), which is Australia's oldest, still-running arts commune.

As an Eltham (Melbourne)-based artist, I've been a fine art, intimate events and portrait photographer since 2013 and a contemporary collage artist since 2020.

Born and raised in a small Zululand town in South Africa in the mid-70’s, I found solace and beauty in books, and the surrounding wild beaches and bushveld, a constant whilst growing up in a political landscape I could really never make sense of.

My work creates a portal to a wondrous, fantastical world that celebrates the powerful healing nature of simple, mostly every-day pleasures, transcending external societal values, such as status, race and gender.

Apart from national South African newspaper, The Rapport, my portraiture photography has also been featured in Australian media, such as The Age, The Weekend Australian Review and The Big Issue.

I've also been a two-time winner of Montsalvat’s Art Festival Photography competition (2015 & 2017).

With two solo exhibitions since (2022 & 2024), I have also enjoyed taking part in multiple group exhibitions and events.

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