Cameron Platter (b. 1979, Johannesburg, RSA) is renowned for the diversity of his artistic practice and for the wide range of different styles in which he works. Originally trained as a painter at Michaelis School of Fine Art, but primarily known for his large pencil drawings, Platter also makes sculptures, tapestries, ceramics, videos, books, websites, charcoal drawings and is a skilled draftsman. His art is deeply subjective and, by questioning contemporary tastes and standards, often exuberantly and loudly counter-cultural.

Characteristically working in series, and appropriating the vocabulary and nuances of modern life, Platter's works are expressionistic, gestural and acid day-glo bright; while at the same time being meticulous, precise, and exacting. He works prolifically, but also deliberately and systematically. For all their apparent spontaneity, his works are ultimately the product of an intense psychological process, with some pieces taking months or years to complete. Platter thinks in images and, in this way, his work can be seen as his way of testing of ideas, be they about the creative process itself, what it means to be an artist and a human being, or the philosophies of everyday life. His work filters the enormous amount of information available today. Blurring the distinction between high and low, his eclectic and multi-disciplinary approach can draw from sources as different as fast food, art history, ecology, psychedelics, landscape, advertising, therapy, collage, and consumerism.

Platter’s work has featured in exhibitions at MoMA, New York, SF MoMA, The 55th Venice Biennale, and Le Biennale de Dakar. His work has been featured in publications such as Artforum, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Vice Magazine, NKA Journal of Contemporary African Art, L’Officiel, ArtReview, The Bangkok Post and Art Africa. His work is part of the permanent collections of institutions such as MoMA, New York, The Zeitz MOCAA Collection, The Bass Museum of Art, The Margulies Collection, and the Iziko South African National Gallery. He lives and works in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Curriculum Vitae