Biography

Peter Strobos was born in 1970, in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, situated on the beautiful Garden Route, near both natural and wildlife parks, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.  He grew up on the outskirts of the city in Amsterdamhoek, on the banks of the large Swartkops River estuary, spellbound by rich natural beauty, strong reflections and sparkling light on the surface of the water. He clearly remembers an early desire to paint when he was around five years old. Inspired by a cartoon, he (with his younger sister’s assistance) drew huge bees in ballpoint pen along the entire front wall of his home, only to be presented with a bucket of hot soapy water and a rag, to wash it all off again.

Peter’s parents then positioned a large blackboard on an easel with a box of coloured chalk, near the window in his bedroom. He tried to reproduce the scenes he saw from the window and remembers waking up in the middle of the night to draw the reflection of the city’s lights on the river with the stars in the sky, only returning to bed once the picture was complete. The result was a pleasant surprise to his mother in the morning. Peter’s fascination with nature augmented at the age of nine, when his family moved to a smallholding on the Sundays River in Kirkwood, a citrus producing area near the Addo National Elephant Park. The raw nature and wild animals made a lasting impression on his young mind.

Peter’s Grandfather brought back a box of quality pastels from Europe when he was eleven, which he began using at high school art classes. He had an unusual flair for pastels, resulting in his art teacher insisting he use them for his examination pieces, whilst the rest of the class used poster paints. It was during this time that he was exposed to art history and became inspired by artists such as the Dutch masters, Rembrandt and Vermeer, and the surrealist, Salvador Dalí. On seeing a calendar at the age of fifteen, he began drawing nudes, which resulted in him being teased by the girls in his art class. His art teacher liked them, but Peter was not allowed to submit them for his year mark.

Peter discovered he had a flair for portraiture whilst in the army, where he drew pencil portraits of fellow soldier’s girlfriends, for extra cigarettes. As a result of his artistic flair he was accepted to join a cartographic unit, where he worked in darkrooms developing photographs, and on a Compugraphic unit for typesetting and design. He was also co-editor and designer for the unit’s quarterly magazine. After completing his compulsory military training, he began working, yet continued drawing portraits for friends and acquaintances.

During a stay in East London, South Africa, in 1991, Peter was invited to display work at a miniature exhibition at the Anne Bryant Art Gallery, and sold all of his pieces on the opening evening. Over the next few years, he continued with drawing and commissioned work when he had the time.

On returning to East London in 1995, Peter freelanced in sign writing, design for a textile factory and various graphic design projects. It was during this time that he improved his artistic skill when regularly commissioned to paint portraits, wildlife scenes and land/seascapes. One of the larger jobs he undertook was the repainting and restoration of murals in a Freemason chapel, in King Williams Town, during renovation after a fire had destroyed it. Thereafter he was invited to exhibit work at the King Williams Town Museum in 1996, along with renowned Eastern Cape artists.

Peter moved to Hout Bay, Cape Town during 1997, to further his art career. Although becoming involved in other areas, he still took on commissions and exhibited in local galleries from time to time.

In 2000, Peter and his wife, Muriel, opened Gallery 790 in Hout Bay, which he used as his public studio for art lovers to see paintings in progress and literally smell the oils. They closed the gallery after three years, for Peter to concentrate solely on his painting. He thereafter exhibited in various galleries and exhibitions throughout the region until 2007. He was also included in The Collector's Guide to Art and Artists in South Africa.

Peter was invited to exhibit work in a group exhibition at the Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate in George; during their hosting of ‘The Presidents Cup’ golf tournament in 2003, as well as group exhibitions during 2004 and 2005 at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. Around this time he was offered the possibility of exhibition in Cadaqués – Spain, and promotion of his work in the Netherlands.

Whilst considering relocation to Spain in 2007, Peter was offered representation by The Everard Read Gallery - Cape Town, where he briefly had work, but shortly made the decision to move with his family. For a year and a half he lived in Sitges- Barcelona close to the beginnings of Picasso, Miró, and his childhood mentor, Dalí. He presently resides in Wijk bij Duurstede, the Netherlands. Not only is the area beautiful, but also culturally and historically rich.

Peter has work in private collections in the U.K., Europe, the United States, Dubai, the Canary Islands and South Africa, as well as Mercedes Benz (Cape Town Head Office and their Rugby Box at Newlands), and a prestigious Business School in the Netherlands (BSN, Buren). He has completed commissioned work for private art collectors in the United States, Netherlands, the U.K. and South Africa and continues to work on commissioned projects for established clients.

During 2010 Peter visited the United States to complete work on a project for a collector, meet with prospective galleries and to attend the reception of the 25th Annual Chelsea International Fine Art Competition Exhibition. He was selected as a winner for the competition and awarded a certificate of excellence by Ms. Megan Fontanella, Assistant Curator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, and was invited to exhibit work at Agora Gallery in Chelsea, New York. He explored other galleries and art museums during his stay. He was later also selected as a 'Myartspace at Scope Miami 2010' finalist by distinguished jurors and had a selection of his work digitally on display at the Scope Miami 2010 art show.

Peter frequently explores the realms of design and sculpture. He has completed a design course in sterling silver at the Gold of Africa Museum in Cape Town, and has experimented with glass as a medium i.e. torch work, fusing and slumping, and sculpture. He plans to exhibit glass and other sculptures in future exhibitions. He is enthusiastic about film and animation as additional media, and continues to study CG and 3D creation, already using polygonal modeling, animation and simulation as supplementary artistic tools.