Leonora Carrington
Iziko South African National Gallery
Cape Town
SUB CATEGORIES
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Our Roots, Our Rhythm, Our Future - Artslink.co.za(SEP 15, 2026)HEAT Winter Arts Festival brings women’s voices to Cape Town - Cape Town ETC(AUG 4, 2026)Mark Jeneker Foundation wraps up Cape Town holiday programme with enriching museum visits and art workshops - Plainsman(JUL 27, 2026)International slavery exhibition opens at Iziko Gallery in Cape Town | People's Post - novanews.co.za(MAY 25, 2026)What’s on | Going Out - TimesLIVE(MAY 16, 2026)Our Roots, Our Rhythm, Our Future - Artslink.co.za(SEP 15, 2026)HEAT Winter Arts Festival brings women’s voices to Cape Town - Cape Town ETC(AUG 4, 2026)Mark Jeneker Foundation wraps up Cape Town holiday programme with enriching museum visits and art workshops - Plainsman(JUL 27, 2026)International slavery exhibition opens at Iziko Gallery in Cape Town | People's Post - novanews.co.za(MAY 25, 2026)What’s on | Going Out - TimesLIVE(MAY 16, 2026)
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About & Heritage
The South African National Gallery, located in the heart of Cape Town’s historic Company’s Garden, is the premier public art museum in South Africa. Its origins trace back to 1872 with a foundational bequest of paintings by Thomas Butterworth Bayley, with the current landmark building opening its doors in 1930,. In 2001, the gallery became part of the Iziko Museums of South Africa network. The word “Iziko” means “hearth” in isiXhosa, symbolizing a central gathering place for sharing stories and knowledge.
The museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, and exhibit a comprehensive visual record of South African, African, and international art. Historically, its collection was heavily centered around 17th to 19th-century Dutch, French, and British works, including lithographs, etchings, and paintings. Over the decades, and particularly post-apartheid, the institution has radically expanded its focus to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the continent. Today, it houses an authoritative and continually growing collection of modern and contemporary South African art, encompassing painting, sculpture, photography, new media, and indigenous beadwork,. Serving as a crucial space for historical reflection and contemporary dialogue, the Iziko South African National Gallery actively engages with the socio-political landscape of the nation, redefining national identity through its powerful permanent collections and dynamic exhibitions,.
- Note : Iziko operates a network of 11 national museums across Cape Town; the South African National Gallery is the premier art venue,.
Iziko South African National Gallery Opening Overview
Open daily to the public. Situated in a pedestrian precinct, visitors are encouraged to access the venue through the scenic Company’s Garden,.
Weekly Hours
Monday: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Tuesday: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Wednesday: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Thursday: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Friday: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Saturday: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Sunday: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
(Note: Operational hours may vary slightly depending on the season, with some portals noting a 10:00 AM start time.)
Special Closures & Private Visit Policy
Closed on Workers’ Day (May 1) and Christmas Day (December 25).
Open to Public (General admission).
Legacy & Iconic Highlights
Jane Alexander (Artist) (The Butcher Boys, 1985–86 – Iconic anti-apartheid sculpture)
William Kentridge (Artist) (Soho Eckstein series, 1989–1996 – Animated films)
Moses Tladi (Artist) (Mont-Aux-Sources – First black artist exhibited at the gallery in 1931)
Anton van Wouw (Sculptor) (African Head – First South African artwork purchased in 1926)
Gerard Sekoto (Artist) (Masterworks of South African social realism)
Irma Stern (Artist) (Pioneering South African Expressionism)
Thomas Butterworth Bayley (Patron) (1872 bequest that founded the national collection)
George Hallett (Photographer) (A Nomad’s Harvest, 2014 – Major photographic retrospective)
Mary Sibande (Artist) (The Purple Shall Govern – Contemporary figurative installation)
Dean Hutton (Artist) (Fuck White People, 2017 – Controversial performance/installation)
Marlene Dumas (Artist) (Contemporary figurative collection highlights)
Pieter Hugo (Photographer) (Critical contemporary portraiture collections)
Neville Lewis (Artist) (Adderley Street Flower-sellers – Early 1926 acquisition)
Thomas Baines (Artist) (Historical landscape and exploration documentation)
Maggie Laubser (Artist) (Early South African Modernist works)
Mikhael Subotzky (Photographer) (Award-winning documentary photography)
Nontsikelelo Veleko (Photographer) (Urban identity and street fashion photography)
Robert Hodgins (Artist) (Satirical and expressionist painting)
Willem Boshoff (Artist) (Conceptual art and textual sculptures)
Abraham Van Beerstraten (Artist) (17th Century Dutch Golden Age highlights)
Wolf Kibel (Artist) (Early 20th-century South African expressionism)
Alan Davie (Artist) (Abstract expressionist international works)
Moses Kottler (Sculptor) (Modernist sculptural highlights)
Lippy Lipshitz (Sculptor) (Pioneering South African modernist sculpture)
Hyman Liberman (Patron) (Historic patron and major financial benefactor of the collection)
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Live Updates: Iziko South African National Gallery
- Our Roots, Our Rhythm, Our Future - Artslink.co.za
- HEAT Winter Arts Festival brings women’s voices to Cape Town - Cape Town ETC
- Mark Jeneker Foundation wraps up Cape Town holiday programme with enriching museum visits and art workshops - Plainsman
- International slavery exhibition opens at Iziko Gallery in Cape Town | People's Post - novanews.co.za
- What’s on | Going Out - TimesLIVE
Venue Type
Art Museum & Foundation, Cultural Art Center, Artistic Heritage Site,
Social Presence
Venue ID : 45154
Last Update : August 19, 2026
- Note: These details are curated for preliminary guidance. As schedules and seasonal programming at prestigious institutions are subject to change, we recommend visiting the venue’s official portal for the most current information and private arrangements.
- If you notice any discrepancies, require structural updates to an artist profile, wish to submit a recommendation, or would like to share your official portfolio document and visual artwork samples, please do not hesitate to reach out. We welcome submissions from artists, representatives, and estates alike.
- Contact Us
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