The President Hotel Blends Art & Accommodation with New Zarah Cassim Exhibition

In collaboration with Art School Africa, the President Hotel in Bantry Bay is opening a brand-new art exhibition by local painter Zarah Cassim. The works, displayed in the halls and on the walls of the luxury accommodation, use oil paint to explore colour, form, movement, and more.

Here’s everything visitors need to know.

More about Zarah Cassim

A graduate of UCT’s Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cassim has exhibited her work across the country and internationally, including in Spain, France, and Australia. The pieces in the hotel’s In Residence series explore how places remain in our memory as details begin to fade. As such, the landscapes are elusive and uncertain, resembling only the idea of a particular space or subject.

The statement piece is The Dance I, a sprawling work that uses shades of red, purple, and yellow to convey this feeling of abstract space. In Residence also features smaller works by Cassim, including Sherbet, Berry and Bleed, ranging from paint on canvas to Fabriano paper, showing her artistic progression.

“My painting and brushwork are instinctive and closely connected to my state of mind. At times it is bold,
loose and expansive; at others, more tentative and detailed. Through this intuitive process, I explore my
longstanding interest in perception and the idea that reality exists in multiple layers. My paintings inhabit
the space between the real and imagined, where landscapes, memories and gestures move between
clarity and ambiguity. I am interested in that thin and shifting line between reality and illusion, how what
appears dreamlike to one person may, through another perception, be entirely real.“

The President Hotel x Art School Africa

Cassim’s exhibition is the latest edition of In Residence, a joint venture between the President Hotel and creative non-profit Art School Africa. The series brings art out of galleries and museums into more everyday spaces, making it more accessible and connecting artists with new audiences they may not have reached before.

A unique luxury retreat in Cape Town, the President Hotel in Bantry Bay stands out for personal service, special offers, a beloved view of the city’s natural beauty, and authentic artwork that allows guests to engage with local culture. It boasts 349 tastefully furnished, fully equipped rooms, world-class events, conferencing facilities, a palm-fringed infinity pool, five restaurants, a children’s play area, a spa, a gym, a beauty salon, and more.

Art School Africa is dedicated to making the art industry more accessible for Africans, running various programmes to improve creative education, increase artist visibility, and connect local talent with global markets.

Where to see the exhibition

In Residence, featuring works from Zarah Cassim, is on show for the rest of 2026, giving hotel guests the opportunity to experience art from one of Cape Town’s very own creatives.

When: 1 September 2026 – 11 January 2027
Where: The President Hotel, 4 Alexander Rd, Bantry Bay, Cape Town

Website: presidenthotel.co.za
Instagram: @thepresidentct
Facebook: PresidentHotelCapeTown