Paintings

A work from Original paintings, by Martin OsnerOriginal paintings38 worksA work from African Queen, by Martin OsnerAfrican QueenPortraitsA work from Faith Inspired, by Martin OsnerFaith InspiredPaintings

Photo Alchemy & mixed media

A work from Photo Alchemy, by Martin OsnerPhoto AlchemyThe workbenchA work from Collage and montage, by Martin OsnerCollage and montageCut and rebuiltA work from African Art Fusion, by Martin OsnerAfrican Art FusionWith Simon Shone

Photography

A work from Abandoned, by Martin OsnerAbandonedThirteen yearsA work from Ethereal Landscapes, by Martin OsnerEthereal LandscapesMist and movementA work from Master Trees, by Martin OsnerMaster TreesThe Master Series

Read and watch

A work from The Studio Journal, by Martin OsnerThe Studio JournalStories and essaysA work from Films and Atelier, by Martin OsnerFilms and Atelier91 filmsA work from The wall, by Martin OsnerThe wallEverything, one page
Twenty six collections, and more being added
Biography, awards and exhibitions
Home · Biography

Biography, awards and exhibitions

The factual record: where the work has been shown, what it has won, and where it is held.

Martin Osner signing a limited edition print in the gallery
The short version

Martin Osner, born in South Africa, lives and works in Hout Bay, Cape Town. Painter, mixed media artist and fine art photographer. Co-founder of the National College of Photography. Voted best contemporary international artist in 2008 and 2009 by Arteque, Masters of Today. Founder of Osner Gallery and the Art Photography Academy. Work held in private and corporate collections internationally.

A timeline
1963
Born in Johannesburg on 2 October.
1984
Straight from school into national service, then the navy. A friend hands him a Pentax Super A on a winter's day, and photography begins.
1985
Opens his first photographic studio in Johannesburg: people, weddings and commercial products.
Late 1980s
Moves the business to Pretoria.
1992
Loses the business in a scam, and with it everything he had built.
1993
Founds the National College of Photography in Pretoria with Bob Reid.
1994
Restarts his commercial studio, Studio Seven, alongside the college.
2002
Begins Abandoned, a body of work that takes thirteen years and ends at forty photographs.
2003
Starts exhibiting, and the gallery world opens up.
2007
The college is sold to AdvTech, where it becomes the premier photographic training institution in southern Africa, today under the Vega brand.
2008 and 2009
Voted best contemporary international artist by Arteque, Masters of Today.
2010
Moves to Cape Town and opens his first gallery, in the Cape Quarter, Green Point.
2012
Presents Canon Europe's international brand video, and begins seven years as a Canon Ambassador.
2013
Starts teaching again, from his studio in Hout Bay. His daughter Samantha Lee Osner walks into one of his lectures.
2018
Opens the gallery in Hout Bay with Samantha, today Osner Gallery.
2023
Co-founds the Art Photography Academy with Ralf Armbrüster.
Today
Paints, makes Photo Alchemy and fine art photographs, exhibits with Samantha in Hout Bay, and teaches every week.
Exhibitions
2025
Reverie, Osner Gallery
2024
Timeless Transcendence
2023
Memoirs of Light
2022
Reminisce
2021
Serendipity
2019
Reverie Neivei
2018
Osner Gallery opening exhibition

Exhibition brochures are available from Osner Gallery.

Read the artist's story