Karel Nel
'Karel Nel: Close and Far' published by Palimpsest, 2024, to accompany the survey exhibition at Wits Art Museum, Johannesburg.
Karel Nel
Silent Thresholds
Burroughs, E., Silent Thresholds exhibition catalogue, Art First, 2013
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Karel Nel
African Cosmos/Stellar Arts
Kramer, C.M, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 2012
This book accompanied the group-breaking exhibition curated by Christine Mullen Kramer and includes a contribution by Karel Nel.
Karel Nel
There But Not There, The Significance of Absence
Burroughs, E., exhibition catalogue, Art First, 2011
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Karel Nel
The Brilliance of Darkness
Scoville, N, “COSMOS”, The Brilliance of Darkness exhibition catalogue, Art First, 2008
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Karel Nel
Lost Light: Fugitive Images from Deep Space
Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg, 2007
Karel Nel
The Status of Dust
Bunn, D., Breath Alphabet: Karel Nel and the History of Division and Dubow, J A Profane Spirituality, A Radical Materiality, exhibition catalogue, Art First, London, 2002
Karel Nel
Volcanic Texts
Stracey, C. Introduction, The Way of Stone, exhibition catalogue, Art First, 2000
Writing
William Kentridge, Why Should I Hesitate; a chronology, 2019-2020. Published by Norval Foundation and Koning
Selected Texts by Karel Nel
Re/Disccovery and Memory: The Works of Kumalo, Legae, Nitegeka & Villa', Elizabeth Burroughs and Karel Nel, Norval Foundation, Cape Town
Nel, K. “The Cosmos and Africa: Balancing Data and the Poetics of Knowledge” In Kreamer, C. (ed) African Cosmos / Stellar Arts: African Cultural Astronomy from Antiquity to the Present, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
Nel, K. “Matter out of Place: four new pieces”In Brenner, J. Burroughs, E. Nel, K. (eds) Life of bone: art meets science, Wits University Press, Johannesburg
Nel, K. “Migratory aesthetics: the art of the cattle cultures of Southern Africa “ (chapter) In Petridis, C (ed) The Art of Daily Life: Portable Objects from Southeast Africa, 5 continents editions: Milan
Nel, K. “Reflective Field” In Freschi, F. (ed). Water: The [Delicate] Thread Of Life, Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg
Nel, K. “Self, Land and Power: the art of Alan Crump” Freschi, F. (ed). Alan Crump, A fearless Vision, Johannesburg Art Gallery: Johannesburg
Nel, K. Introduction (Vol 1) In Berman, E. Nel, K. (eds) Alexis Preller: Africa, the Sun and Shadows, Shelf Publishing, Johannesburg
Nel, K. ‘All Africa”; “The Family”; “Discovery”; “You will never know”; “The Unfinished Mudief” (Vol 2) Berman, E. Nel, K. (eds). Alexis Preller: Collected Images, Shelf Publishing, Johannesburg
Nel, K. “Co-Ordinates” In Charlton, J. (ed). Signature Pieces, Bell Roberts Publishing: Cape Town
Nel, K and Christopher, N. “Beyond the Line – Johannesburg” In Christopher, N. (ed) Beyond the Line, Wits School of Arts: Johannesburg
Nel K. “Shangaan: In Search of a Genealogy” In Leibhammer, N. (ed) Dungamanzi, Stirring waters, Wits University press: Johannesburg
Nel, K. “Meneghelli: bold collector of the unexpected” In My Life, My Collection: memoir and selected pieces from the collection of Vittorino Meneghelli, Totem Galleries: South Africa
Nel, K. “A New Language Distilled” In Art South Africa V4.4
Nel, K. “Edoardo Villa: creating an African Presence” and Nel, K. and Von Maltitz, A. “Edoardo Villa: A Life Considered” and Nel, K. and Sack, M. “Villa, Johannesburg and the modernist context” In Nel, K. Burroughs, E. Vo Maltitz, A. (eds) Villa at 90, Jonathan Ball Publishers with Shelf Publishing, Johannesburg
Nel, K. “Re-Wired” (foreword) In Arment, D. & Fick-Jordaan, M. Wired: Contemporary Zulu Telephone Wire Baskets, Museum of New Mexico Press: USA
Nel, K. “Ferocious Beauty” In Nettleton, A. Charlton, J. Rankin-Smith, F. (eds) Voice-Overs: Wits Writings exploring African Artworks, University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries: Johannesburg
Nel, K. “Headrests and Hair Ornaments: Signifying More than Status” In Sieber, R. and Herreman, F. (eds) Hair in African Art and Culture, Prestel / Museum for African Art: New York
Nel, K. “Consonant with cattle-culture: the art of the portable” In Klopper, S. and Nel, K. The Art of South East Africa: From the Conru Collection, 5 Continents editions: Milan
Nel, K. “Southern African artifacts in the Horstmann Collection” In Bassani, E. Power of Form: African Art from the Horstmann Collection, Skira: Milan
Nel, K. “Towards a Southern African Aesthetic” In Ubuntu: arts et cultures d’Afrique du Sud, Reunion des Musees Nationaux/Musee national des arts d’Afrique et d’Oceanie/Musee de l’homme: France
Nel, K. “Off the Wall” and “Constructing Likeness” In Joni Brenner Infra-red exhibition catalogue, NAC/Anglo American Chairman’s Fund/Gertrude Posel Gallery: Johannesburg
Nel, K. “Re-inventing the present” In FNB Vita Craft Now Awards, exhibition catalogue, Johannesburg
Nel, K. “The way of Stone: to move a stone is to change the world” In Volcanic Texts, exhibition catalogue: Art First, London.
Nel, K. “Swazi Umntfwana: Swazi evocations of the child” and Nel, K. and Leibhammer, N. “The puzzle of the pendant figures”
Becker, R. Dell, E. (eds) Evocations of the child: fertility figures of the southern African region, Human and Rousseau, Cape Town
Nel, K. Catalogue entries for southern African tobacco pipes and snuff containers In Phillips, T. (ed) Africa: The Art of a Continent, Prestel: Munich
Nel, K. and Givon, L. Cyprian Shilakoe (1946-1972), Standard Bank National Arts Festival: South Africa