Based in Cape Town and entirely self taught, South African artist Jono Dry has worked for the last thirteen years on creating a practice centred around his large-scale hyperrealist graphite works.

Exhibiting locally and internationally, Dry has devoted his practice to pushing the medium of graphite. With perfection as a fundamental aspect of hyperrealism: a sense of sleek precision is kept at the core of his practice.

Dry’s works explore the intimate notions of the self, one’s internal dialogues and the often illusive concept of ‘headspace.’ Common to all his work is the empty darkness that surrounds his figures, who stand alone against the black. Taking reference from mythology, his highly detailed hyperreal scenes described in pencil with photographic precision take surrealist inspiration. Using the images of archetypes to evoke a momentary recognition in the viewer, the recurring themes play with obscure symbolism, with an exploration of fantasy and ideas of dream-space.

Integrating the crucial role of being an entrepreneur as a young artist, Jono Dry has built a dedicated Youtube channel focused on the output of educational videos showing specific aspects of the drawing process as well as sharing tools to build a business in the creative industry. Combining his love of film and video, Dry documents the detailed process of the making of his drawings, aiming to engage his audience with exciting creative content as an alternative to the typical academic space. This platform highlights Dry’s passion to share knowledge with other makers and build a community centred around the world of art making.