During the week of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2026, internationally acclaimed contemporary artist Freya Willemoes-Wissing will present a powerful selected work from her acclaimed body of work, I Bled A Thousand Days For You, at the NIROX booth, part of the official Investec Cape Town Art Fair programme.
The NIROX booth is curated by Gerard de Kamper and renowned art critic and curator Ashraf Jamal – one of South Africa’s most respected contemporary art thinkers and a leading voice in global art discourse — who has personally selected Willemoes-Wissing’s work for this presentation.
The work will be previewed on 19 February 2026 for invited VIP guests, collectors, and industry leaders, before being presented to the public at BlackBrick Gardens from 20 to 23 February 2026.
Running from 20 to 23 February 2026, her work offers an intimate, visually striking exploration of womanhood, sacrifice, identity, and resilience. With its strong commitment to South African artists and its integration of art throughout its spaces, BlackBrick provides an ideal context for work that speaks to real lives and real stories. The setting reinforces the exhibition’s themes of resilience and truth.
Freya is a (South) African artist who was born in Rio de Janeiro to a Danish father. She has been painting from the get go and has pursued her ongoing studies as an artist. She has travelled extensively over the past 20 years, absorbing the culture, language, art and music of the peoples of over 70 different countries. Since childhood, she has been exposed to the creative energy of established artists and musicians on both sides of her family, hence her passion for painting, dancing, ballet and singing.
Freya has works in private collections in Los Angeles, New York, Denmark, Florida, Germany, Australia and South Africa.
Known for colouring outside conventional lines and challenging the status quo, she creates work that is unfiltered, courageous, and deeply honest – refusing to soften difficult truths for comfort or approval.
Constructed from collected sanitary pad covers and assembled into quilt-like works, her work transforms hidden, everyday materials into bold statements of strength and beauty.
At its heart is a vital message: equality does not mean sameness – we deserve equal rights while honouring our differences.
A must-see exhibition for art fair visitors, collectors, and lovers of meaningful contemporary art.
BlackBrick Foreshore
19- 23 February 2026
Looking ahead, audiences can also look out for Freya’s March exhibition, Burlesque, presented together with her friend and co-artist Max Wolpe. The exhibition is curated by Robyn Lidsky
