Leli Hoch was born in Germany into a family of artists, writers, and musicians. She lives in Stanford, South Africa, and holds an MA in Sociology, Psychology, and Educational Sciences. Her adventurous life in outdoor tourism, deeply connected to nature, inspired her return to art.

“My inspiration comes from nature—earth, rocks, plants, bones, minerals, water. These natural elements create a history, forming new shapes and meanings over time.
My art blends nature with writing, installation, crocheting, painting, knitting, and sculpture, aiming for the viewer to sense the hands that made it. The word ‘manipulation’ comes from Latin, meaning ‘hand’ and ‘to fill,’ reflecting skillful handling. I love working with copper, the first metal humans mined, as it interacts with other materials in unexpected ways.
Earth colors, made from natural pigments, mix and meld on canvas, fabric, or paper, mapping the land they came from through the movement of a human hand—a gentle interaction between me and the landscape. These colors, drawn from the earth, carry the land’s essence, adding depth and meaning to the artwork.
I dedicate time to creating with transient yet perfect objects like leaves. Combining traditional craft techniques with fragile materials, like leaves, highlights their balance of fragility and strength, and the destructive (ab)use of nature by humans. All materials I use collaborate with each other, and I with them. I’m not the dominant factor but a conduit in the creative process. I explore impermanence and decommodification; sometimes my work is ephemeral, made in situ, and left to disintegrate or decompose after documentation.”
Leli Hoch is a founder, selector, and facilitator for the Tankwa Artscape Residency and Bodhi Khaya Residency, South Africa www.artistinresidence.co.za