Marita van Rooyen is a Namibian artist, writer, and activist whose practice is rooted in
exploring the natural environment and the interconnected relationships between people and
the land — particularly how nature and traditional knowledge shape our sense of identity and
connection.
Her artistic practice draws on the cyanotype, a slow, tactile process to engage with indigenous plants as carriers of
memory, knowledge, and meaning. By bringing together visual storytelling, ecological
awareness, and cultural memory, she creates botanical impressions that reflect on the
natural environment while honouring the ancestral knowledge embedded within it. Ultimately,
her blueprints become both records of place and poetic reflections on observing, preserving,
and reconnecting with the land.
A Chevening alumna, Van Rooyen holds a Master’s degree in Documentary Photography
from the University of South Wales in the United Kingdom, as well as undergraduate
degrees in Journalism and International Studies. An award-winning journalist and writer, she
has received several honours for her work, including the MISA Namibia Journalist of the
Year award.