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Historical Artist - Wolf Kibel (1903 - 1938)
Wolf Kibel was born in Grodziska, Poland 1903 - 1938
Art Education
- Wolf Kibel studied art briefly as a boy in Poland under a visiting London painter Applebaum.
- 1923 to 1925 Studied art under Professor Pick-Morina, Vienna.
Short Artist Biography
- As a boy Wolf Kibel carved grotesques from his father's oil-stones.
- 1911His father's death brought insecurity into his life; was apprenticed to a purse-maker at
nearby village of Kutna, haunted the library there and was dismissed from his work for
day-dreaming; His decision to paint was determined by the praise of Applebaum.
- 1923 to 1925 By the age of 20 Wolf Kibel fled to Vienna to escape conscription; aimed to get
to Paris but did not have the funds; met Pick Morino, teacher at the State Academy, received
private art training from him.
- 1925 to 1929 Wolf Kibel was persuaded go to Palestine; Lived for a time in Jerusalem, Lodged
in an ancient monastery near the Tower of David; Took seriously ill; Lived on the beach at Tel
Aviv until a friend gave him money to rent a room; Met and married Frieda; Struggled financially
and sold few paintings.
- 1929 His brother was Cantor at the Gardens Synagogue in Cape Town and encouraged Wolf Kibel to
come to South Africa; Wife went to stay with her family in Europe while he established a home in
South Africa; on arrival worked on decorating the Alhambra Cinema and worked in the Plaza
Cinema, Pretoria.
- 1931 His first exhibition evoked a storm of abuse; Hugo Naude invited him to holiday in
Worcester where he learned to etch.
- 1933 Frieda Kibel joins her husband in South Africa; Wolf Kibel exhibits again.
- 1934 Friendship develop between Wolf Kibel and Lippy Lipschitz, jointly they rent a studio in
Roeland Street - 'Palm Studios' ; Wolf Kibel's four most productive years followed.
- 1935 His third art exhibition at Ashbey's Art Gallery opened by Lipshitz, public reaction
abusive but receives favourable review by Melvin Simmers in 'Cape Times' ; worked in oils,
etchings and monotypes; desperate battle to survive - health failing.
- 1936 Show of graphics, first public art exhibition of his monotypes.
- 1937 Ejected from studio; June last art exhibition; Health collapsed immediately after
exhibition, removed to hospital where he remained until his death from tuberculosis.
- 1975 Wolf Kibel's "Still-life with bird was sold at Sotheby's Johannesburg to the
Pretoria Art Museum for R8 800
Art Exhibitions
- 1931 Wolf Kibel's first one-man exhibition, Cape Town
- 1936 Empire Exhibition, Johannesburg
- 1942 Memorial Exhibition, Johannesburg
- 1948 Overseas Exhibition of South African Art, Tate Gallery
- 1950 Memorial Exhibition, Johannesburg
- 1966 Special Commemorative Exhibition, Pretoria
- 1968 Exhibition of monotypes, Cape Town
- 1976/7 Prestige Retrospective Exhibition, South African National Art Gallery, William
Humphreys Art Gallery, Pretoria Art Museum, Johannesburg Art Gallery.
- 1979 ' South African Printmakers' South African National Art Gallery, Cape Town.
Public Art Collections
South African National Art Gallery Cape Town, William Humphreys Art Gallery Kimberley,
Durban Art Gallery, Pretoria Art Museum, King George VI Art Gallery Port Elizabeth, Tatham Art
Gallery Pietermaritzburg, Rembrandt Foundation, WITS Art galleries, UNISA.
Source
Berman, E. 1994. Art & Artists of South Africa . Southern Book Publishers.
Contemporary South African Artists
Art Galleries in South Africa
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