Noel has been described as an artist, scientist and conservationist, at first glance a contradictory set of interests and motivations, yet it has been the synthesis of these attributes that have enabled him to touch people’s lives in an original way. Through his storytelling he takes us on fascinating journeys, his artworks offer windows into hidden worlds, his passion drives him to initiate conservation programmes, and his African soul helps him connect with the wider living world.

The great, great grandson of well-known Cape artist Wilhelm Langschmidt, whose paintings hang in the William Fehr Collection at the Castle of Good Hope, Noel’s life has been dictated by his need to forge his very personal journey, seeking his inner voice and then sharing it through his artworks and writings. He has known the frustrations of the seeker, grappling with not only his creative response to the world, but also wishing to better understand the human paradigm. These have been given expression through his creativity, working in most mediums, ranging from etching and scraperboard, through to painting in watercolour, acrylic and oils, and sculptures in bronze and composites. As a wordsmith he has sought to find different expression through invisible metaphors made visible through the imagination, transporting one into the realm of other parallel worlds.

Working for whales Conservation

Invite Noel to give one of his Public Talks

Read the recently published article_in_westcoaster_magazine_2011.pdf

Read an interview with Noel in the Oct 2011 issue of Country Life magazine

WHALES AND OTHER ANIMALS - A BRIEF CV

  • Born in Cape Town, South Africa
  • Matriculated from Kingswood College, Grahamstown
  • Graduated in Environmental & Geographical Science, University of Cape Town (1987) / Completed the Business Acumen for Artists Course, Graduate School of Business (2010)
  • His first one man show was held at Kirstenbosch Gardens in 1988
  • His book The Whales of Walker Bay has become a local bestseller
  • His Windows on the Oceans exhibition in the Two Oceans Aquarium was opened in 2003 by Jonathan Oppenheimer and Horst Kleinschmidt.
  • His anti-whaling sculpture Sacred Ocean was launched in 2008 by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the Two Oceans Aquarium.
  • His Whale Show Audio Visual presentation is shown daily in Hermanus and in the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town
  • His IFAW Whale Walk is a prominent feature in Hermanus and his Benguela Boards feature in coastal towns along the west coast.
  • He has appeared extensively on television and radio, with a special feature on Top Billing and ARD German TV.
  • He consults for the film industry and was involved in the creation of Free Willy 4 for Warner Bros
  • He is represented on the professional speaker’s circuit
  • He runs his Oceans of Africa programme with his wife Belinda (her website http://www.thenatureconnection.co.za)

(Left) Watch the launch video of the Sacred Ocean sculpture campaign in the foyer of the Two Oceans Aquarium, featuring Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Horst Kleinschmidt, Noel, and Jason Bell-Leask.