Hennie Niemann was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1941.

He attended school and university in the city, where he qualified as a teacher.

He taught Afrikaans and Physical Education for seventeen years while painting after hours. In 1983 he boldly moved his family to Onrus River, a seaside hamlet on the Cape South coast favoured by artists, to pursue a career as professional artist.

Hennie has participated in numerous group shows, as well as a number of solo exhibitions since 1956. His painting approach is strongly influenced by the character and mood of the subject matter he is portraying. Hennie derives his inspiration from the local environment, painting farm labourers harvesting wheat or picking fruit, Fynbos pickers collecting bouquets of indigenous flowers and fisherfolk sorting their catch. These outdoor scenes are depicted in strong sunlit colours - giving expression to the African sunlight and the buzz of activity.

He works mainly in oils, and sometimes uses pastels over the oils in mixed media on paper to effectively create a softer more subtle finish when painting interior scenes. Paintings using this technique are some of Hennie's most beautiful works, portraying his wife and daughter - his two favourite models, busy reading, sewing or simply relaxing after a bath.

Hennie's glorious rich colours and choice of subject matter make his work highly prized by an international clientele, and he is represented in private collections world-wide.

NIEMANN Hendrik Christiaan
Born 1941 Bloemfontein.

A self-taught painter of landscapes, seascapes, portraits, still life and figures. Works in oil, watercolour, ink, wash, charcoal, pastel and mixed media.
Profile A former member of the Orange Free State Art Society. Has acted in a number of plays with the Bloemfontein Theatre Group.
Exhibitions He has participated in several group exhibitions from 1956 in SA; 1971 Bloemfontein, first of six solo exhibitions.