Gary Stephens’ Artist Residency at Leeu Estates | Everard Read Franschhoek
Pattern, Portrait & Place: Gary Stephens at Leeu Estates
From 28 April to 31 May this year, celebrated artist Gary Stephens brought his unique vision to the esteemed Artist in Residence Programme at Leeu Estates.
Known for his vibrant, large-scale drawings that celebrate African identity and contemporary style, Stephens used his time at Leeu Estates to step away from production mode and into a period of playful exploration—experimenting with new inspirations drawn from the surrounding landscape and preparing conceptually for his upcoming solo exhibition at Everard Read on Leeu Estates in January 2026.
For art lovers seeking a deeper connection to creativity and nature, Everard Read at Leeu Estates offers a one-of-a-kind setting. Opened in November 2020, the gallery is nestled among the vineyards and fynbos of the Estates and is home to monumental outdoor sculptures that create a living, open-air art experience. At the heart of this inspiring space is the Artist in Residence Programme, which welcomes leading contemporary artists to work from a dedicated on-site studio and cottage.
This programme has hosted some of Southern Africa’s most innovative talents—including the likes of Blessing Ngobeni, Teresa Kutala-Firmino, Setlamorago Mashilo, Ricky Dyaloyi, and Liza Grobler—providing a quiet retreat to create, explore new ideas, and engage with visitors. Guests to the Estates may even have the chance to meet these artists, view works in progress, and witness firsthand the creative process unfolding in the valley.
We caught up with Gary Stephens during his time at Leeu Estates to hear more about his experience, creative process, and what’s next for this ever-evolving artist…
Q: You have worked and travelled across Latin America, Asia, and Europe. What was it about Africa that made you stay and root your artistic practice here?
A: I’m not the type of person that really plans the future, I sort of just let it unfold. I try to look around myself and engage with where I am. I came to South Africa in 2008 because of my partner’s job, where I did an art residency at Greatmore Art Studios in Cape Town and started meeting and drawing the other artists there. That’s how it all started. I feel I really landed in the right place at the right time, which opened a very beautiful chapter for me that continues to evolve.
Q: How has living and working in South Africa shaped your understanding of visual storytelling and cultural expression?
A: Honestly, before moving to South Africa, I had never drawn people. When I arrived, I wanted to change up my art-making to be more engaged with my surroundings and where I was actually living. I found the most dynamic subjects to be the local people, their enthusiasm, and their attitudes. And being a visual person, I began to really enjoy noticing the multicultural sense of fashion, dress, hairstyles, etc., which further intrigued my work.
Q: When did your fascination with African style and identity begin, and how has it evolved over the years?
It started as soon as I arrived! I mean literally at the grocery store, there would be a woman with the most beautiful braided patterns in her hair, or a guy wearing his hat in such a cool, unique way. I just began to notice all these notions of expression that I hadn’t yet encountered before and felt drawn to celebrate them.
Q: How did the opportunity to be part of the artist-in-residence programme at Leeu Estates come about?
I am preparing for a January 2026 solo exhibition with Everard Read here in Franschhoek, so the idea was to come and use the residency to figure out the direction and type of work I will make for the next six months to prepare for that show.
Q: What are some of the goals you wanted to achieve during your time at Leeu Estates?
When I am working towards an exhibition, I often come up with secondary ideas and inspirations, but have learned to put them in a sketch book to try later. This year has been quite busy since I just had eleven works in a show with Everard Read London. So before going right back into strict production mode, I wanted an empty space to breathe, to be more experimental and playful, and have the freedom to begin testing some of these secondary ideas without the goal or outcome that each work created must be exhibition-standard. The residency was therefore more of an exercise in newness and exploration.
Q: Your works, “James with purple Yoruba hat on pink wax fabric” and “Iziana pink green dress on matching fabric” are currently on display at Le Quartier Français. What inspired these particular portraits?
A: James and Iziana live in Johannesburg and come to my openings and have done many photoshoots in my studio. I had a kind of fixation with that pink and green optical fabric pattern that is in the background in both. At that time, I was really exploring wax fabric patterns and how African people have such a natural flare for knowing how to combine them. I would go fabric shopping both in Joburg CBD and even West Africa, collecting patterns I wanted to draw. When the models were in studio, the subject and I would decide together on the selection of fabric to complement their outfit. I would have several different fabric options as backgrounds mounted and they would move in front of them until we found the right combinations, a process I used to create these two works.
Q: These pieces, along with “Swaady with blue scarf on yellow and pink”, engage so vividly with their surroundings. How do you approach creating work that resonates with and elevates the spaces in which they’re displayed?
A: Honestly, I think more about my images than where they hang, but I knew I wanted very bright, vibrant colours with strong patterns, a sort of Andy Warhol African pop art effect. I was always trying to be playful and decorative. I intentionally never wanted to show rural or village Africa as so often depicted in the media, but rather I loved the idea of celebrating modern, African youth who had such a unique way of revisiting traditional dress with a contemporary twist. My eyes love patterns and I just love seeing patterns as clothing, so I was really enjoying being out in the city of Joburg, experiencing this effortlessly cool sense of African style.
Q: In what ways do you hope your work enhances the overall guest experience at Leeu Collection properties?
A: I’m always honoured when my works get shown in public places where many people see them. I just hope the photographs make people notice and appreciate how cool urban African style is - a celebration of colours and patterns that revisits some of their heritage and captures their sense of African pride.
A: Can you walk us through your process, particularly the layering of patterns and how you allow them to break through the final image?
I like this question - what you have described is basically exactly what I like to explore! The sort of random surprises and visually unexpected vibration the layers in the background add to the subject in the foreground. It creates this sort of energy that physically vibrates off the paper.
Q: Are there any materials or techniques you will be experimenting with during your time in Franschhoek that differ from your usual process?
In the past two years, I’ve really been expanding my subjects to include South African landscapes and plants. I grew up in the Arizona desert, so I have a deeply personal love for arid rocky landscapes. In the past year, I’ve been going on residencies to the Karoo, the Kalahari, and Limpopo, getting inspiration from the various indigenous fauna and flora, specifically aloes, acacias, and baobabs. So now I’m trying to explore mixing these landscapes with African fabric patterns and botanical drawings.
Q: Looking ahead, what are some of the projects or exhibitions you are most excited about?
In January 2026, I will have a solo exhibition in Franschhoek at Everard Read on Leeu Estates, so I will be working towards that body of work for much of the year. But more specifically, I am really drawn to the “Tree of Life” as an overarching theme and concept. I’ve been researching how many ancient cultures from Egypt, Mexico, and India all have depictions of trees as symbols of the earth’s power and blossoming into flowers, birds, and animals. I’m therefore looking into attempting a special, distinctly African version of how to capture reverence and honour; the quiet, reflective, deeply intimate experience of being connected to wild nature.
Experience Art in Nature at Leeu Estates
Whether you're an art aficionado or a curious explorer, Everard Read at Leeu Estates invites you to step into a world where creativity meets luxury in the heart of the Franschhoek Valley. Stroll through the vineyards and sculpture-dotted gardens, discover bold new works by some of Africa’s most exciting contemporary artists, and witness the power of art to transform place and perspective.
