Drawing with Michael Beckurts

This mentorship is designed to expose participants to Michael’s distinctive artistic techniques and diverse drawing styles. Over the course of the mentorship, you will engage in a variety of tasks that will challenge and expand your perception and application of drawing, culminating in a final portfolio review that synthesises your learning and growth. All reviews of your work are provided as recorded video.

Throughout the mentorship, participants will explore different facets of Michael's approach—from live sketching in public spaces to detailed figure and cityscape drawings. Each week introduces a new dimension of drawing, encouraging you to experiment with multiple mediums and perspectives. Whether you are an aspiring artist, or looking to enrich your drawing repertoire, this mentorship offers valuable insights and a pathway to mastering your craft under the guidance of a seasoned professional.

Michael Beckurts (b.2000) lives and works in Cape Town.
 Since graduating in 2021 from the Cape Town Creative Academy, he has been a full time visual artist working in oils, charcoal, watercolour, and digitally.

Central to Michael’s practice is his connection to nature and connection to people. His artworks are characterised by rapid mark making and considered compositions.

Ever curious to explore new media, Michael can be seen at evening jazz sessions where he combines his love of music with his observational skills. Here he live-draws in sketches projected onto a wall.

Michael has had 4 solo exhibitions: Archives held at the Test Kitchen in Woodstock (2021), Portraits of Nature, Portraits of Places at MOK Gallery, Muratie wine estate, Stellenbosch (2022), Remember to Play at Openwine, Wale Street (2023), and Vivacity at the AVA Gallery, Church Street (2024). He participated in the Baz Art International Public Arts Festival in Cape Town in 2019 and 2023 and has also displayed his artworks in several group exhibitions. Michael was a participant in the 2023 Sessions Programme for Visual Artists led by Dominique Edwards which culminated in a group exhibition, Pomegranate in Woodstock, Cape Town. In May 2024, several of his artworks were included by the AVA Gallery at the RMB Latitudes Art Fair in Johannesburg.

In the words of critic Ashraf Jamal, “Beckurts’ art draws us towards what we long for most – stillness, with all its tremulous vivacity. [He] is a marvel of promise in an embittered world.”