Biography of Robert Thirtle, Curator, Artist and Owner

ROBERT THIRTLE - BIOGRAPHY SUMMARY

Robert Thirtle (b. 1979, Bethlehem, Free State, South Africa) is a South African mixed-media artist based in the North West Province. His artistic journey began in childhood and developed alongside a successful career in interior design, where he spent more than two decades working with international architects before turning to art full time.

Thirtle is the founder of ARTi Gallery in Klerksdorp and the ARTi Gallery Art Competition (AGAC), one of South Africa’s largest national art competitions. He is represented by B-Gallery in Klerksdorp and Fine Arts Africa in Hout Bay, with previous representation in Cape Town by 1895 Art Gallery.

In 2025, he was selected as a Top 100 finalist at the Rust-en-Vrede Portrait Art Competition with his work Suri, exhibited at the Spier Arts Trust, and later acquired by Danie du Toit of the band Spoegwolf. Thirtle was also selected through SANAVA for the prestigious Cité Internationale des Arts Residency in Paris, France.

His work continues to attract national and international attention, reflecting a lifelong commitment to creativity, craftsmanship, and artistic exploration. Notably, he founded the ARTi Gallery in the North West Province, a cornerstone of his investment in art and art education. Robert Thirtle actively conducting art workshops at the ARTi Gallery, shaping the next generation of artistic minds. The AGAC, a natural outcome of this commitment, this is just the beginning!

Robert Thirtle boasts a rich exhibition history, participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions, participating in innovative projects, showcasing his evolving artistic expressions.

 

ROBERT THIRTLE'S ARTIST STATEMENT

Art for me is not just about the final product . It is a space where I slow down, think, and reconnect with why I create in the first place. I am drawn to simplicity, rich texture, strong colour, and the human figure.

Faces and bodies sometimes carry emotion without needing explanation. I work in mixed media and I love the process of making something from nothing. I often think about creation itself, how something extraordinary can come from nothing. 

I still remember being eight, selling my first small paintings for 10 cents, not because they were good, but because someone stopped, looked and cared enough to buy it.

I have been shaped by many artists over time. Seeing the work of Monet, Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Picasso in person was deeply moving and fuelled my motivation to say something with my art. 

Experimenting keeps the work alive for me and I use whatever medium helps the work say what it needs to say. 

My hope is that the work invites people to pause for a moment and connect with something familiar, even if they don’t know exactly why.

 

ROBERT THIRTLE - FULL BIOGRAPHY

Robert Thirtle was born on 17 August 1979 in Bethlehem, Free State, South Africa, and grew up in Petrus Steyn and Kestell following his parents’ divorce. His artistic journey began at the age of eight, inspired by the television drama Ballade vir ’n Enkeling. With a five-rand birthday gift, he purchased his first watercolour set and began painting scenes of children on bicycles. Together with his sister, he sold these early works on the streets of Bethlehem for ten cents each. His first formal recognition came in 1988 when he won a Nesquik Bunny colouring competition.

Throughout his school years, Thirtle continued to develop his artistic skills by painting signage for local businesses in Petrus Steyn. After matriculating, he spent four years in mission work, where he painted stage backdrops and event graphics while studying part-time. In 2001, he transitioned into interior design and enrolled at The Sheffield School of Interior Design in New York (New York Institute of Art and Design. NYIAD) This led to a corporate career working alongside International Architects, after which he founded Free State Interiors in Bloemfontein.

Despite more than two decades of success in interior design, Thirtle’s passion for painting never faded. He continued creating and selling artworks through local coffee shops and Free State Interiors, gradually transitioning into a full-time fine art practice. His mother, Anni Thirtle, is also a painter, and they have shared a love for painting and exhibiting together in group exhibitions.

In 2019, Thirtle was invited to participate in a group exhibition at the Free State Arts Festival as part of the National Art Project.

He later relocated to the North West Province to pursue his art career full time. He is represented in the province by B-Gallery in Klerksdorp, where his work achieved strong commercial success.

Thirtle’s online presence and international engagement with his work have continued to grow steadily through platforms such as Instagram. In the Western Cape, his work was represented by 1895 Art Gallery in Cape Town, marking his first exposure in the region. He is currently also represented by Fine Arts Africa in Hout Bay.

In early 2022, following the Covid period, Thirtle founded ARTi (Art–Robert–Thirtle–Interiors) in Klerksdorp. Through ARTi, he showcases and sells his own work while actively empowering other artists. He is the founder of the ARTi Gallery Art Competition (AGAC), one of South Africa’s largest national art competitions, with a first prize valued at R260,000 and total value of prizes for a single competition R355 500.

Thirtle was selected through SANAVA (South African National Association for the Visual Arts) for the prestigious Cité Internationale des Arts Residency in Paris, France, an achievement marking a significant milestone in his career.

He has served as a judge for various art competitions and was selected for the Top 100 finalists at the Rust-en-Vrede Portrait Art Competition with his work Suri. The exhibition was held at the Spier Arts Trust in Cape Town in 2025. The artwork was later acquired by Danie du Toit, lead singer of the nationally and internationally acclaimed band Spoegwolf, after he encountered the work online and contacted Thirtle directly.

His work continues to attract national and international attention, reflecting a lifelong commitment to creativity, craftsmanship, and artistic exploration. Notably, he founded the ARTi Gallery in the North West Province, a cornerstone of his investment in art and art education. Robert Thirtle actively conducting art workshops at the ARTi Gallery, shaping the next generation of artistic minds. The AGAC, a natural outcome of this commitment, this is just the beginning!

Robert Thirtle boasts a rich exhibition history, participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions, participating in innovative projects, showcasing his evolving artistic expressions.

From street corners to prominent collections, Robert Thirtle’s artistic journey continues to inspire a new generation of artists.