Estelle Sketched

Estelle Dry-Muller is a Johannesburg-based Fine Artist and part-time lecturer at Vega
Design School, where she teaches Postmodern Theory, Drawing for Game Design,
Design Culture, and Visual Literacy. She completed her Master of Fine Arts in 2015,
developing a multidisciplinary practice initially centred on sculpture and installation. Her
early work explored materiality, space, and the relationship between viewer and object,
laying a conceptual foundation that continues to inform her practice today.

In 2017, after participating in the global Inktober challenge, Dry-Muller shifted her focus
back to drawing, rediscovering a deep engagement with line, texture, and the immediacy
of ink. This transition marked a significant evolution in her work, as she began to merge
her fine art background with her long-standing passion for comic books and illustration.
An avid collector of visual narratives, she draws heavily on science fiction and fantasy,
creating intricate black-and-white works that balance decorative detail with imaginative
world-building.

Her work has been exhibited widely, and she has both participated in and curated
multiple exhibitions. Dry-Muller has been recognised as a finalist in prestigious
competitions including Sasol New Signatures, the Absa L’Atelier, and the Thami Mnyele
Fine Art Awards. Alongside her studio practice, she regularly showcases her work at
markets, gallery exhibitions, and events such as Comic Con Africa, engaging diverse
audiences through both fine art and illustration.
Her influences include Art Nouveau, Victorian illustration, manga, and Golden Age
illustrators, shaping her intricate line work, ornamental detail, and narrative-driven
imagery.