Meet Santie Cronje | Creative entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Santie Cronje and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Santie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
As a child I was pretty good at drawing and Biology was my favorite subject in school. I just loved drawing and illustrating plants and insects.

I decided to take Art as a major subject in High School and these early years were definitely the foundation of my creative career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a multi disciplinary artist and gallery owner focusing on mostly painting with an added love for creative photography.

South African born, I travelled extensively in my 20’s and in 1998 I spent 3 months on a yacht that took me from the bottom of Africa to Gibraltar. Through connections I went to the United Kingdom where I met my New Zealand partner and eventually moved to New Zealand in 1999. My travels, the sailing journey and moving to the other side of the world, significantly influenced and inspired my art as I told my story in paint. For the next 15 years my art was reflecting on these experiences and recently a big change in direction after covid.

My painting journey returns to a more painterly style and more present as I am totally immersed in my beautiful surroundings- the beautiful South Waikato, New Zealand.

Art and creativity has been my comfort and my understanding of the world. If anything I hope my art will connect with folk who seek to understand aspects of their own journey.

I’ve learnt to love and accept the choices I’ve made in life as the choices are important pieces in the puzzle of life. And we are but a sequence of experiences.

Love and relationships have equally played a big role in my life. My beautiful partner Shane who is a man of the earth. A Horticulturist and good soul. We’ve been together for 6 years and our journey together has been the story of our unique gallery and plant boutique ‘Deciduus and Santie’ that we’ve owned since 2018 based in Tirau, New Zealand.

My story is one of adventure, love, loss, heartbreak and healing. Something we can all relate to.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The greater Waikato is such a beautiful part of the country. If my friend visited from South Africa I’d have a wonderful itinerary to create beautiful memories.

We would kick off with a few nights staying in the area with a little bit of retail and cultural therapy in Tirau, Cambridge and Rotorua followed by a few nights away at the beachside in Pukehina which is only an hour away to relax and soak up the scenery.

Pukehina is a quiet beach village where you can completely relax and walk on the long stretch of beach but not far away from the vibrant city of Tauranga and surf Beach Mount Maunganui.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Jenny Scown (Inspirit Gallery) Jenny was the first gallery that exhibited my work in New Zealand. I’ll always be grateful for Jenny.

Website: www.santie.nz

Instagram: santie.cronje.artist

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storytellerart

Other: Our Gallery Page Deciduus and Santie www.deciduusandsantie.co.nz

Image Credits
Shane Berger