Hermien's practice is rooted in a deep connection to the Cape fynbos — a biome shaped by wind, fire, drought, and time, largely endemic to the southern coast of South Africa and found nowhere else on earth. Inspiration is gathered on foot, walking through the fynbos-rich landscapes of Table Mountain, where proteas, restios, ericas, and bulbous plants grow freely, exactly as nature intends. These indigenous wildflowers resist control or arrangement; they respond to the seasons and return with renewed force after fire. This sense of divine order within apparent wildness is central to the work.

The paintings are not botanical studies but expressive responses. Working intuitively with bold, sometimes wild brushstrokes, shapes and colours are deliberately simplified. Through composition, the natural chaos is gently tempered — creating balance, rhythm, and structure without losing the plants’ inherent energy and freedom.

By slowing down and looking closely, the fynbos reveals its quiet complexity, which these works seek to amplify, allowing indigenous plants to stand tall and alive.

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