Belinda Kriek was born in South Africa, where she studied Public Relations at the Tshwane University of Technology (Pretoria Technicon) and the University of South Africa. She moved to Canada in 1996 and graduated with distinction from the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the University of Regina in 2012. While still in South Africa, Kriek worked primarily with ceramics and sculptural materials. She turned to her current practice in painting after moving to Canada, switching from acrylics to oil paint during her Bachelor studies. Kriek has received numerous commissions and has over 300 pieces in public and private collections internationally. She has exhibited in group exhibitions, as well as solo presentations at the Fifth Parallel Gallery, Cumberland Gallery, and the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
"Belinda Kriek’s painting includes evocative, pixilated portraits inspired by images contextualizing her daily life and the effects of cultural and social changes. She has the keen ability to control energy and noise through the varied application of material, bringing to mind a gust of dust particles coming alive in a ray of sunlight. The strokes are separate, yet together create the sense of a solid presence. Kriek constantly navigates the balance between process, concept, and experimentation. Her recent emphasis on the relationship between research and execution contributes to a multilayered experience for the audience; portraits that simultaneously address acute attention to process as well as a fresh approach to themes of community, identity, and social and cultural history."
Nicolle Nugent - MacKenzie Art Gallery