Oliver Scarlin

Oliver Scarlin was born in Cape Town in 1987. He received a BA in visual art at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography and later completed the 3-year painting program at the Florence Academy of Art, where he won two scholarships and taught as an assistant instructor. Since his return to Cape Town in 2015 he has had 3 solo exhibitions at Chandler House and participated in numerous group shows.

Oliver paints primarily from observation, and is interested in exploring perception through form and colour. He makes functional ceramic objects that feature in his still-life work. Beyond the formal elements of painting, the work is designed to feel intimate, and is informed by themes of memory, longing, and queer domesticity.