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ALWAYS AROUND WATER A solo exhibition by Clare Menck
11 October - 8 November 2025
Gallery 2
142 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood
"Always around water" refers to a state of mental well-being, as coined by the "Blue Mind" theory of Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, in which being near water radically reduces stress, and improves mood and happiness. There is hardly a single work in this solo exhibition by Capetonian painter Clare Menck, that does not have water as its dominant natural feature.
Besides being known for a consistent output of nudes and self-portraiture, Clare Menck is much loved for her paintings of swimmers, effortlessly floating in water. These bathers become a visual metaphor for a sense of freedom, for being at peace with one's body and in tune with one's natural environment. Stepping into water, being surrounded by this marvellous, life-sustaining fluid, brings some welcome relief from a sense of gravity, and feeds the soul. There is invariably an element of sensual bliss and tactile pleasure too. This includes the existential state of being alone - of experiencing aloneness - often characterised by single figures in her works.
For those familiar with Clare's work, intimate and personal autobiographic content is to be expected, and water is often the common denominator - the thread weaving together aspects of her identity as a painter, a lover, breadwinner, mother, sister and more.
This past year, however, has been an unexpected rollercoaster ride of health issues for Clare, with a torn Achilles tendon operation behind her & a hip replacement yet to come!
Severe physical pain also caused psychological upheaval and an unprecedented identity crisis. Such a major and irreversible shift cannot but remind one of one's inevitable mortality. And yet, in "Always Around Water" Clare has chosen repeatedly to paint vistas that amplify her intense appreciation of what Life has to offer.
She returns, time and again, to some familiar highlights of her past life involving water as a form of self-soothing. The idyls she constructs in paint may seem to contradict her recent suffering caused by constant physical discomfort and partial immobility. Painting this past year has been quite a challenge! None the less, Clare chose to share with you, the viewer, some meaningful highlights of past memories, be it the last hike she enjoyed with friends, the last camping holiday with her children and sister, or that last summer swim in a tidal pool or platteland reservoir, before things seemingly spiralled out of control. These scenes have an underlying pathos laced with the privileged knowledge of what was yet to come. True to her trademark romanticism vs realism, they include a hint of pain and perhaps loss, all the while celebrating Life's exhilarating joys and phenomenal miracles.
In spite of some restriction of movement this year (limiting her world considerably, and hopefully temporarily), Clare escapes in "Always around water" to rare familiar moments and places she associates with hope, freedom of movement and joy. Intensely aware that human medical intervention is imperative for a return to some simple pleasures once enjoyed - and easily taken for granted - be it road tripping, travelling, hiking, swimming or even simply walking, socialising, cooking and painting, this body of work is dedicated to her gratefulness for a second lease on life.
Owning a work by Clare Menck, is like having a singular window on a slice of her life experience, immortalised in a distilled image of painterly poignancy. This is a rare opportunity to see so many of her works together in this neck of the woods. Clare continues to give pleasure with her intimate takes on her signature theme of "always (being) around water". Please enjoy this solo exhibition all the way from Helderberg near Cape Town!
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
142 Jan Smuts Ave, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa, 142 Jan Smuts Ave, Randburg, 2193, South Africa
