World renowned contemporary artist Conor Mccreedy has become known on the global stage as one of the most outstanding creatives of his generation.
Little wonder then that Cheetah Plains – which houses one of the most eclectic displays of South African contemporary art – is home to a number of his paintings and named one of its VIP offerings, The Mccreedy Suite in the Karula Private Villa, in his honour.
Referred to as “the modern master of blue”, Switzerland-based Mccreedy has defined a distinct monochromatic vocabulary in his work since he started to paint only in blue at an early age with his signature colour – now known as “Mccreedyblue” – a combination of five different pigments.
Mccreedy began his art career in Manhattan, selling his paintings on the street in Union Square before a chance encounter with O. Aldon James Jr., the then president of the National Arts Club in New York, landed him a life changing solo exhibition in 2009.
He focuses on four essential themes: a passion for blue; a long attraction to Chaos Theory; inspiration from Abstract Expressionism and a serious reverence for, and infinity with, nature.
In 2023, Mccreedy’s collaboration with renowned jewellery designer Suzanne Syz, titled Blue eyes sapphirus falco columbarius, sold for R8.2 million at the Art Basel exhibition in Switzerland. The work depicts a blue falcon, its eyes adorned with a custom-made sapphire brooch, weighing approximately 170 carats, and celebrates his exceptional design and the utilisation of non-fungible tokens (NFT) technology in Africa.
His brilliantly coloured paintings at Cheetah Plains – with their gestural brushstrokes and large-scale splashes – complements nature without interference. Inspiration comes from his experiences growing up in South Africa, a landscape blessed with brilliant cobalt skies.
For him, nature is the unifying thread of humanity.
Mccreedy’s impressive depiction of the Mapogo lion pride – a coalition of male lions that controlled the Sabi Sand region between 2006 and 2012 – commands attention as it anchors the formal dining room in the Mapogo Private Villa.
“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 symbolise the three Mccreedy brothers. I painted a heart in the shoulder blade of the last lion to symbolise the love of family, which I believe is everything in life,” he says.
The suite named in his honour features a characteristically abstract diptych as well as the powerfully emotive Blue Running Cheetah.
He has also produced the Mvula – the famed leopard that the villa is named after.
Signed copies of Mccreedy’s limited-edition Assouline luxury coffee table book Blue Sultan are available in SHARI’s Boutique and proceeds from the sale go towards the Cheetah Plains Foundation intitiaves including the Letzagwa Creche. Committed to community upliftment and creating local employment, Cheetah Plains constructed the Lezagwa Utah Community Crèche in 2019. This facility supports the employment of teachers and assistants that care for over 60 children between 6 months and 5 years old and is the main center of area for local early childhood development.
In the book there is a message from Cheetah Plains owner Japie van Niekerk who writes:
As a passionate contemporary and classic African art collector, I am proud to have Conor’s iconic works displayed as seminal pieces at Cheetah Plains. 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 out guests.
