About Karin

Karin D Kruger grew up in the Kruger National Park where her father was a Game Ranger. Until she was fourteen years old she lived at Mahlangeni, an isolated game ranger station in the northwest region of the park. They had to row a boat across the Greater Letaba river, filled with hippos and crocodiles, to get to their house.

After Mahlangeni, they lived at Crocodile Bridge and Pretoriuskop. Throughout the years a variety of strays and orphans from the animal kingdom were temporary members of her family, including a honey badger with lots of character! They raised an orphaned lion cub, called Leo, who was eventually repatriated to the wild. Leo taught her the emotional moods of wild animals as expressed by their eyes and body language.

Getting to know the animals as family as well as sharing a home with the wild ones, imprinted the animals in Karin’s art.

Her mother Kobie Krüger wrote three autobiographies on their time spent living in the Kruger National Park. The books are called, MahlangeniAll Things Wild and Wonderful and The Wilderness Family.

Her grandfather, film producer Jamie Uys used wild animals as film stars in his movies, Beautiful People and The Gods Must Be Crazy. The art of portraying the grace and beauty of animals remains her passion.

Karin studied under the artist Lindie Waterkeyn.

Nature preservation and appreciation remains her passion and she hopes to create awareness and connection through her art.

Karin lives in Noordhoek, Cape Town with her husband Michael Baines, son Kelly and daughter Sabrina, together with horses, dogs, cats and tortoises.