Welcome to Liza De Wet

Who is Liza De Wet?

A brief look into the life of an artist

Liza was born in Pretoria, South Africa where she grew up before joining the air-force after school. Her passion has always been art however, due to the expectations on her as a South African woman, she was forced to take home economics, sewing and cooking instead. It was only natural then that she would become a wife and mother, always portraying the most proper virtues, while leaving her art in the background. 

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Shortly after joining the air force Liza was married, had two sons and resorted to full time motherhood in the early 90s. For the next 15 years she would focus on raising her boys, finding a little time to paint in the moments she could find some silence. There wasn't much silence, and even when there was, her mind was racing off on another adventure creating paintings in her imagination while dreaming of a day she would finally be free to paint whenever she wanted to. 

2006 brought more change as Liza along with her husband packed up and moved the family to New Zealand, sacrificing whatever comforts they had to start over for the sake of giving the two boys a better future. Moving meant not being able to afford survival on a single income, and Liza now had to reenter the workplace, trusting that the boys now teenagers could manage on their own a little more. Until they finished school she would work during the day and parent during the evenings. Her art yet again took a back seat only emerging on the rare chance that she was alone and could focus on getting her thoughts onto canvas. 

With the death of her parents in 2016 and 2018 Liza's world was turned upside down. Within a two year period she became an orphan, both her parents suddenly falling ill with deadly diseases after decades of good health. She would find herself battling depression, desperately trying to swim and make sense of everything she was feeling. Trying to figure out who she was in all the chaos Liza started looking into her history and discovered lineage dating back to the Netherlands. To her surprise her oldest recorded ancestors included a line of oil painters, including a man called Willemzoon de Wet and his son Jacob. This - along with the realization that life can be taken from us in a heartbeat - sparked a new-found desire in her to paint while she still can. 

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Her husband decided that it was time she had the opportunity to let out all that creativity in a space that was purpose built for her. A makeshift art studio was created for her to use while he renovated a space in the house which will become her new studio.

2021 gave rise to a new era for her. One in which she will expose her soul through her art, publicly available for all to take a peak into that which makes her who she is. This little glimpse of her journey she shares with you; knowing that her work will be to the liking of some, spark intrigue in others, and to some of you will make no impact at all.