What if the best way to enjoy art wasn’t by analysing it, but by feeling it? South African (SA) artist, curator, and gallery owner Aimee Kruger believes that’s exactly how it should be.

Too many people tiptoe through galleries, worried they won’t “get it.” Kruger is on a mission to change that. Speaking The Upside, she explained that art can be experienced the same way we listen to a favourite song, instinctively, emotionally, and personally.

“When we listen to a song we love, we don’t always understand the lyrics or why it moves us,” she said. “Art works the same way. You don’t need to analyse it, just let it touch you.”

Kruger shared a story from her Franschhoek exhibition, where a visitor saw “warships” in a painting, even though there were none.

“She described them so vividly that I could almost see them too,” Kruger recalled. “And that’s the magic of art. Once it’s out in the world, people will see what they need to see. You can’t, and shouldn’t, tell them how to feel.”

Her current collection, Threads of Home, explores memory, family, and belonging through playful, collage-style pieces. One standout work, Home is Where the Shell Is, shows a turquoise tortoise carrying a tiny house on its back, whimsical, thoughtful, and unexpectedly comforting.

Kruger also runs Noorhoek Art Point, a gallery she opened three and a half years ago with the goal of making art accessible to everyone.

“Galleries can feel intimidating, even for someone like me with a fine arts degree,” she said. “I wanted to create a space where people can walk in, have a coffee, and enjoy art without feeling judged.”

At Noorhoek Art Point, visitors can explore everything from large-scale originals to art cards priced at R30 ($1.74), because, as Kruger puts it, “art should be for everyone, not just collectors.”

–ChannelAfrica–