A last-minute visa appointment in Perth saved viral South African artist Werner Bronkhorst from having to cancel his highly anticipated New York City art exhibition scheduled for September. The 24-year-old painter, who boasts 1.6 million Instagram followers, was forced to make an unexpected cross-country journey to Western Australia's capital after being unable to secure a U.S. visa appointment anywhere else in the country.
Bronkhorst, who currently lives in Sydney with his wife and two children, faced a bureaucratic nightmare due to his South African citizenship. As he explained to his massive social media following while walking through Perth's city streets on Thursday afternoon, South African citizens must obtain visa approval to enter the United States, among many other countries. "There are many pros and cons to being a South African citizen, and I guess one of the cons is that I have to apply for visas for pretty much every country that I go to, including the U.S.," he said.
The artist's journey to Perth highlighted the lengths he was willing to go to ensure his exhibition could proceed as planned. "Today I am in Perth, because the only visa application appointment we could find was in Perth, literally on the other side of the world, or at least the other side of Australia," Bronkhorst told his followers. He described taking a five-hour flight for what would be essentially a day trip, planning to return to Sydney the same evening after his appointment.
The stakes were incredibly high for the young artist, as he acknowledged the potential consequences of not securing the visa. "Hopefully I get my approval, because otherwise I won't be able to actually do my exhibition in New York. But let's see how it goes," he said with obvious concern about his upcoming showcase.
Fortunately, Bronkhorst's Perth adventure had a happy ending, as he later confirmed to his fans that he had successfully obtained the necessary visa approval. However, his brief visit to Perth also served as an unexpected opportunity to challenge some widely held misconceptions about Western Australia's capital city. The artist expressed genuine surprise at how much he enjoyed his time there, contradicting negative stereotypes he had heard from Australia's east coast.
"I also don't know why there's such a vendetta against Perth, because, I mean, I am enjoying it here right now," Bronkhorst shared with his followers. He went on to provide a detailed and positive assessment of the city, noting, "There's heaps of art, heaps of statues, heaps of murals. The streets are clean. There's actually a lot of people, compared to what I've heard. Apparently, it's a ghost town – it's actually not."
The artist continued his impromptu Perth tourism promotion, describing a vibrant city that defied expectations. "There's, like, cars everywhere right now, I like it. The weather is cool, it's literally pretty cool right now. But the sun is out and about. It's a beautiful day," he observed, clearly impressed by what he encountered during his brief visit.
Bronkhorst has gained international recognition for his specialized technique in acrylic gel painting on canvas, building a substantial following through social media platforms. His artistic success has translated into significant commercial achievements, with his works currently being displayed in galleries in Korea. The artist recently made headlines when his piece titled "Fish In Water" was sold at auction for an impressive $372,600, demonstrating the substantial market value his work has achieved.
With his visa now secured thanks to Perth's availability, Bronkhorst can proceed with his September exhibition in New York City, marking another significant milestone in his rapidly ascending art career. His unexpected detour to Perth not only solved his immediate visa crisis but also provided him with a fresh perspective on a city often overlooked by Australia's eastern population centers.
