Hannetjie de Clercq was born in 1958, started painting at a very young age and apart from art classes at school, she did not have any formal training.  However, she has the kind of informed vision and technique that one would expect from a graduate student.

Her art combine the romance of medieval iconography with the technology and sociological realities of the modern world.

Her inspiration comes mainly from die ‘Old World’, e.g. Turkish miniatures, icons and medieval frescoes.  Lighthouses, clocks, St Joseph lilies, fish and birds are abundant in her work.  They are intended as simple indicators with specific meanings.  Over-explaining them would render them impotent.  Besides their content, they are esthetically engaging too.  The well-rounded figures and stylized faces illustrate something intangible that we all recognize, but cannot easily explain.