THE OWL HOUSE

183pp., colour illus., paperback, Second Edition, Cape Town, (1991) 2017

Includes "Author's Comments on the 2017 Edition" by Anne Graaff, as well as new colour photographs.

The Owl House, in the isolated Karoo village of Nieu Bethseda, South Africa, was transformed by its owner, the reclusive Helen Martins. The garden is filled with concrete sculptures of pilgrims, sun-worshippers, mermaids, owls, camels and other creatures, and the house is filled with candles, lamps and mirrors with the walls, windows and ceilings decorated with crushed coloured glass. The house has been declared a national monument.


Artist and art historian Anne Graaff is currently part of an advisory team assisting in the restoration of the Owl House. She lives in France.