Michael Meyersfeld

Michael Meyersfeld is a South African photographer and visual artist whose practice spans fine art photography, abstraction, and conceptual image-making. He was educated at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg and later completed a B.Com degree at the University of the Witwatersrand, after which he worked in the family steel merchandising business before entering advertising photography.

Meyersfeld’s early career developed within commercial and advertising photography, where he gained extensive international recognition. Over time, he transitioned fully into fine art practice, with a focus on photographic abstraction and conceptual image construction.

His abstract photographic works are non-representational and do not follow a defined narrative or staged composition. Instead, they are generated through intuitive processes that emphasise perception over interpretation. Meyersfeld describes this approach as requiring a “liberated eye” that moves beyond the search for fixed meaning, allowing attention to shift toward form, texture, light, spatial relationships, and material presence. In this sense, his practice prioritises sensory awareness and perceptual experience over narrative or documentary content.

A recurring conceptual shift in his work involves the move from external commentary toward internal dialogue, where image-making becomes a reflective and experiential process rather than a representational one. His photographic series explore abstraction as a method of seeing rather than depicting, positioning his practice within contemporary debates on photographic perception and non-representational image-making.

Meyersfeld has exhibited widely in South Africa and internationally, with solo exhibitions including Accessing the Encoded (2018), Adaptation (2018), and Dark City Dreams (2014). His work has been shown in major institutions such as the Pretoria Art Museum, South African Jewish Museum, and international venues in Germany and the United States.

His works are included in prominent public collections, including the Constitutional Court of South Africa Art Collection, the Johannesburg Art Gallery, and the ABSA Art Collection.

Alongside his artistic practice, Meyersfeld has received numerous international awards in photography and advertising, including recognition from Cannes Lions, the One Show (New York), Clio Awards (USA), and the London International Advertising Awards, reflecting his dual career in commercial and fine art photography.

He is currently based in South Africa and continues to develop a body of work focused on abstraction, perception, and photographic experience.

References:

Berman Contemporary (2019) Michael Meyersfeld artist portfolio. Available at: https://bermancontemporary.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/artist_portfolios/BC-Artist-Portfolio-MASTER-Michael-Meyersfeld-11-February-2019-EvM.pdf (Accessed: 2026).

Berman Contemporary (n.d.) Michael Meyersfeld artist profile and portfolio. Available at: https://bermancontemporary.com (Accessed: 2026).

Graham’s Fine Art Gallery (n.d.) Michael Meyersfeld artist profile. Available at: https://grahamsgallery.co.za/michael-meyersfeld/ (Accessed: 2026).

Meyersfeld, M. (n.d.) Official artist website. Available at: https://www.meyersfeld.com/ (Accessed: 2026).

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (n.d.) Collection database: Michael Meyersfeld. Cape Town: Zeitz MOCAA.

Constitutional Court of South Africa (n.d.) Art Collection holdings: Michael Meyersfeld. Johannesburg: CCAC.

Johannesburg Art Gallery (n.d.) Collection holdings: Michael Meyersfeld. Johannesburg: JAG.