A fresh start - 2025 (Framed)

A Fresh Start - 2025

Charcoal, acrylic and oil paint on canvas panel
23 x 30.5 cm
Framed

Petronella (Ronel Müller)

Petronella (Ronel Müller) is a contemporary South African artist living and working in the coastal town of Hout Bay, just outside Cape Town. Ronel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from North West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where she studied Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography, and Art History. After working as a photographer for a decade (2015–2025), she returned to her original passion—painting—in 2024, and has since dedicated herself fully to her practice.

Her work leans toward semi-abstract and abstract compositions, often exploring the dynamic relationships between shape, colour, and form. Sometimes featuring florals or potted plants, her paintings are grounded in a contemporary aesthetic with soft decorative sensibilities. Deeply inspired by nature, especially the landscapes of the Kalahari where her family farm lies, Petronella sees art as a form of rhythm and healing—visual music that slows the world down.

She took part in her first group exhibition at the Hout Bay and Llandudno Art Fair in early 2025. She then got invited to display her work at the Kanonkop Wine Estate Art Gallery, and later got the opportunity to join Jasper&Jute’s curated online platform. She is currently preparing for two new upcoming exhibitions—one in Hout Bay and another in Cape Town.

Petronella believes in the evolving nature of creativity.
“Art isn’t optional,” she says. “It’s what holds me together. It’s medicine. It’s a necessity.”