Jonel Scholtz

Jonel Scholtz: Painting the Interior Landscape

Jonel Scholtz approaches art with both the discipline of a scientist and the sensitivity of a storyteller. After earning a degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Johannesburg in 1994, she continued a painting journey that had begun years earlier under the guidance of American-born artist Louise Goudemond.

Over the years, Scholtz has exhibited widely in South Africa and internationally, with her work appearing in galleries and exhibitions across New York, London, Monaco, Italy, Mauritius, and Paris. Her paintings—often deeply personal and emotionally reflective—have earned international recognition, including awards from the Los Angeles-based Teravarna Gallery.

Yet beneath the accolades lies an artist more concerned with truth than acclaim. For Scholtz, painting is an act of discovery, a search for meaning within the complexities of memory, loss, love, and identity. She believes art should emerge from the soul rather than commerce, and this conviction gives her work its enduring emotional resonance.