Biography

Julie AH-FA

Julie Ah-Fa is a French botanical artist from Réunion Island, now based in South Africa. She is a member of the Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa and studied botanical art with Ann Harris. She works exclusively in watercolour, a medium that allows her to capture both delicacy and precision.

Her work has been exhibited widely. In 2013, she received a Bronze Medal at the Kirstenbosch Biennale for her first participation. She has since exhibited on several occasions in South Africa, and her first solo exhibition in Réunion Island was also a great success.

Julie has gained international recognition at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Botanical Art & Photography Show in London, where she was awarded a Gold Medal, the Judges’ Special Award, and the People’s Choice Award in 2025.

She is one of the 44 acclaimed artists selected for the Grootbos Florilegium, the first contemporary florilegium in Africa, with her work housed in the Hannerie Wenhold Gallery of Contemporary Art. Her paintings are also held in private collections and by galleries, including Everard Read Gallery.

Through her paintings, Julie’s mission is to contribute to plant conservation by raising awareness of the fragility and importance of biodiversity. By portraying rare, endangered, and endemic species, she hopes to inspire appreciation and care for the ecosystems they represent.