Dieuwke-Jean Linee

Dieuwke-Jean Linee

Born in Cape Town in 1994, Dieuwke-Jean Linee is a rising South African visual artist known for her emotionally charged and historically rooted works. Her formal journey in art began at La Rochelle Girls' High School, followed by a focused year of painting at the Jack Meyer Art Centre in Paarl. Since launching her professional career in 2020 with the Paarl Art Society, Linee has made a significant impact on the South African art landscape. Her debut solo exhibition WOMAN (Koena Art Institute, 2022) established her as the youngest female indigenous artist to exhibit with the Institute. 

She followed with RECLAMATION at the Castle of Good Hope and a 2023 solo exhibition on Paarl's landscape and architecture. Her work has featured in landmark group exhibitions, including A !Nau for Now at Stellenbosch University Museum and The Evolution of Indigenous Art at Iziko Museums. In 2024, she was commissioned for the KROTOA-EVA: 350 Years Celebration and awarded the Cape Winelands District Mayoral Special Award. 

About the Artwork
Linee explores identity, heritage, and history through expressive color, texture, and narrative. Her art revives forgotten stories, linking past and present with urgent relevance. With each piece, Dieuwke-Jean aims to spark dialogue, challenge perceptions, and foster empathy. Through her art, she encourages viewers to confront their own truths and embrace the beauty of diversity in all its forms. "FIRST POETS: |han≠kass’o" (Klein Jantje) Mixed media combining oil pastels, watercolour and metallic craft paint. 

This work is part of a four-part series featuring individuals who were significant contributors to the Bleek-Lloyd collection of Bushman studies in the late 19th century. These pieces are colourized interpretations of original studio photographs by Samuel Baylis Barnard , bringing a new vibrancy to historical figures like |han≠kass’o, a skilled narrator who contributed extensively to the Bleek-Lloyd archive.