Collections
Marlena maintains collections of paintings in each of her two homes - Dallas, Texas, and Cape Town, South Africa. While both collections draw on her love of color, the Impressionists, travel, and ballet, each collection is also inspired by the differences between her two homes -- the vastly different landscapes, colors, and sounds of the environments as well as the different pace and characteristics of the people. In addition to the paintings available in each collection, Marlena loves to exercise her interest in interior design and partner with clients to create commissions specific to the needs of the clients and their homes. Please use the contact form below to obtain more information about paintings in her current collections or about a commissioned project.
About the Artist - Marlena Horak
Marlena Horak has been an artist all her life, painting and dancing as long as she can remember. In addition to being a renowned South African artist, Marlena is a classically trained ballet dancer and has performed all over the world. Painting and dancing have walked hand in hand with her as her creative outlets from her childhood, and each influences the other. Marlena, a longtime Francophile, is also fluent in French and has deeply studied and loved the Impressionists. Marlena's paintings frequently reference her lifelong practice of ballet and her travels to rural France, where she is inspired by the small villages and beautiful light that have inspired artists for centuries.
Her paintings have become highly sought after globally over the past 25 years. Marlena is represented by several prominent galleries in South Africa, Europe, and America, where she has had solo shows, group shows, and international art residencies. Marlena is also the in-house artist of Linear Design, an interior design company in Cape Town, which allows her to combine her painting with her interest in Interior Design. Her work can also be seen currently in Cape Town at Rochebobois Paris in De Waterkant. Her work has been purchased for private collections in the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, Europe, the UK, and Australia. In particular, The Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg and Prince Harry have her paintings in their collection.
Originally from Pretoria, and later Cape Town, South Africa, Marlena now lives with her family and grandchildren in Dallas, Texas, though she frequently returns to Cape Town to paint and draw inspiration from her homeland. Marlena received her Bachelor in Fine Arts from The University of Pretoria, where she studied Painting, Sculpture, and Graphic Design; Ceramics; History of Art; Culture and Art History of Europe; and Archeology. Marlena also studied dance internationally in France, England, and New York She is the founder and former director of the contemporary ballet company, Gaia Dance Project for the Arts and Dance. She is an international award-winning choreographer and has taught both art and dance for over 40 years.
