Born in Benoni, South Africa, in 1981, Jaco van Schalkwyk is a contemporary South African artist whose practice spans painting, installation and found objects. His work has evolved from monumental landscape paintings that examine humanity’s complex relationship with the natural environment to deeply personal portraiture that explores memory, identity and human connection.

Van Schalkwyk first gained recognition for his meticulously rendered landscapes, which evoke the grandeur of nineteenth-century Romantic painting while confronting contemporary environmental concerns. Vast, atmospheric and often devoid of human presence, these works reflect on the lasting impact of human activity on the natural world. During an extended stay in Bali, his practice expanded to investigate the intersection of ancient traditions, environmental degradation and the ways in which cultures construct ideas of the exotic, the fetish and the souvenir.

More recently, portraiture has become central to his artistic practice. Rather than producing conventional likenesses, van Schalkwyk creates intimate portrayals of people who have shaped his life—including family members, mentors and close friends. Working across painting, installation, found objects and still life, he constructs layered narratives that reveal the emotional and psychological presence of his subjects, inviting viewers to consider the relationships, histories and identities that define them.