Cheetah Plains houses one of the most eclectic displays of South African contemporary art, and as of 2023 we will be offering a private art tour and buying experience. Curated to honour the country’s most celebrated and emerging painters and sculptors, the Art Collection at Cheetah Plains is an enlightening journey for today’s discerning travellers with an appetite for a safari that is uniquely a piece of art in itself. Since our debut in 2018, Cheetah Plains has redefined a new notion of luxury where spotting the big five on a game drive is a thrill only matched by spotting what visionary owner, Japie van Niekerk, has curated in this standout collection with Works by acclaimed masters that are intentionally placed alongside current and emerging talent the likes of William Kentridge, Jacobus Pierneef, Cecil Skotnes, Conor Mccreedy, Angus Taylor, Loyiso Mkize and Gail Caitlin to name a few.
Curated as new experiences for 2023, we’ve designed a new private art tour and art buying experience for aesthetes. This unique opportunity allows guests to receive a one-on-one art tour with illustrious South African artist Conor Mccreedy, known for his distinctive monochromatic blue painted artwork with pieces such as Blue Butterfly and Blue Running Cheetah on display at the property.
“As a passionate contemporary and classic Africa-art collection, I am proud to have Conor’s iconic works displayed as seminal pieces in our cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve Collection set within South Africa’s most celebrated wildlife area, the Sabi Sands Reserve.
Our private bushveld villas’ honest architecture and muted interior-design palette, imbued with warm, natural elements, are strikingly enhanced and entirely ‘lifted’ by the inclusion of Mccreedy’s masterful pieces. Their scale, their subject matter and, of course, a blue unlike any other command attention and are a constant source of conversation, admiration and inspiration amongst our guests,” shares Cheetah Plains owner Japie van Niekerk.
Most notably is Conor’s impressive depiction of the Mapogo Brotherhood lion pride, which anchors the formal dining room in the aptly named Villa Mapogo.
“When I painted the Mapogo lions, there was a hidden message in the art. I was inspired by the lions and the idea of brotherhood. I painted three lions to symbolize the three Mccreedy brothers. I painted a heart in the shoulder blade of the last lion to symbolize the love of family, which is everything in life,” shares artist Conor Mccreedy.
The private tour is packaged with a 3-night stay in Villas Mapogo or Karula and includes a signed and personally dedicated copy of his limited edition Blue Sultan Assouline Book, which was released in October 2022.
In addition, for guests who are true connoisseurs and interested in growing their own portfolio of art, Cheetah Plains will coordinate a private art broker to join them in the bush for a private tour and help guide them through the property’s prominent works of art featuring pieces from emerging to established South African artists. Select pieces in the Art Collection at Cheetah Plains are available for purchase and can be shipped directly to guests both domestically and internationally.