---
title: Clarisa van der Merwe
description: "Mixed media artist focusing on resilience, resourcefulness and radical acceptance"
url: "https://www.artsume.com/a/clarisa-van-der-merwe"
type: artist
createdAt: 2026-03-18
updatedAt: 2026-04-14
disciplines:
  - Learning Design
  - Painting
  - Immersive Environments
  - Mixed Media
  - Creative Writing
location: "Cape Town, WC, South Africa"
birthYear: 1991
---

# Clarisa van der Merwe

*Mixed media artist focusing on resilience, resourcefulness and radical acceptance | Learning Design, Painting, Immersive Environments, Mixed Media, Creative Writing | Based in Cape Town, WC, South Africa*

## Artist Statement

I paint things that help me find a way back to myself. Mostly flowers and landscapes, done with a toddler on the hip (or on the painting itself). The work takes shape through radical acceptance: what happens to the painting was meant to happen to the painting. It is what it is; what it was always meant to be. In this way, I hone the chaos and trap it on the surface. Like magic. Like therapy. Like a mom just getting through the witching hour. 

## Biography

Clarisa van der Merwe is an academic and learning designer who always finds herself coming back to art. Her style is impressionistic and loose, often depicting florals and landscapes. She enjoys working in oils, acrylics and pastels. Her surfaces are often reclaimed or recycled. 

## Curriculum Vitae

### Education

- **2022** - PhD, in Biological Anthropology Education, University of Pretoria, Pretoria
- **2017** - Postgraduate Certificate, in Higher Education, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, (cum laude)
- **2015** - MSc, in Anatomy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, (cum laude)
- **2014** - BSc (Hons), in Physical Anthropology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria
- **2012** - BSc, in Medical Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, (cum laude)

### Group Exhibitions

- **2026** - "Out of the Box Open Exhibition," Noordhoek Art Point Noordhoek
- **2022** - "Deep South Community Art Exhibition," Scarborough Community Hall Cape Town (Curated by Margherita Introna )

### Professional Experience

- **2023 - Present** - Founder and Educational Consultant, Pollex Learning Experience Design, Cape Town
- **2019 - 2021** - Project Coordinator: Bakeng se Afrika, Forensic Anthropology Research Centre, University of Pretoria, Pretoria
- **2014 - 2019** - Research Assistant, Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria
- **2013 - 2014** - Assistant Lecturer, School of IT, University of Pretoria, Pretoria

### Commissions

- **2023** - "Nocturn," Private Cape Town

### Professional Service

- **2026 - Present** - Member, Art.B, Cape Town
- **2026 - Present** - Member, South African Society of Artists, Cape Town

## Portfolio

### Fairy houses at dusk (2026)

*Gouache on Handmade Paper*

*40x40 cm*

A small landscape depicting flowers on handmade paper, framed in a clean white frame.

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### Lekker by die Vlei (2026)

*Oil on Handmade Paper*

*40x40cm*

A small landscape viewed through the uneven edges of handmade paper, framed in a clean white frame

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### Mini emotional support landscapes (2026)

*Oil or Gouache on Handmade Paper*

*10 x 20cm*

Small paintings on handmade paper depicting dreamy landscapes

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### Just another lemon tree (2026)

*Acrylic on board*

*120 x 70 cm*

Large impressionistic painting of lemons hanging on a lemon tee, with blue sky visible through the trees. 

Acrylic on board.

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### Gladiolus (2026)

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### Kosmos (2026)

*Mixed media on board*

*120 x 70 cm*

Large painting of pink and white cosmos
Mixed media (acrylic and oil pastels) on board

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### Dear die blare (2026)

*Mixed media on board*

*120 x 70cm*

A large abstract painting reminiscent of glimpses of sky through the leaves on a sunny day. 

Acrylic paint, oil and soft pastels on board.

Created in collaboration with my 1 year old daughter.

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### Nocturn (2023)

*Oil on Canvas*

*200 x 120cm*

A large imposing oil painting of the sea at night