Hayley Lombard is a South African contemporary artist whose work explores the intersection of nature, texture and emotion. Based in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, her layered abstract paintings are defined by rich surface detail, rhythmic movement and a luminous sense of depth.

A Chartered Accountant by training, Hayley spent many years in the accounting and corporate world before following an intuitive pull toward a creative career. Her practice bridges discipline and spontaneity — bringing together the structure of her former profession with the freedom and intuition she has found through art.

Working in acrylic and mixed media, she builds tactile surfaces through layered mark-making, translating the natural world into textured colour stories that feel both grounded and alive. Her work forms part of private collections internationally, including the United Kingdom, United States, Portugal and Canada, and has been exhibited across South Africa.

Recent collaborations include Investec, where her commissioned work The Butterfly Effect was unveiled at Sun City, and La Motte Wine Estate, where she hosted the Textures of Spring workshop series.

In 2026, Hayley took to the TEDx stage with her talk Permission to Play: Why Creativity Matters More Than We Think, drawing on her journey from Chartered Accountant to professional artist and exploring the importance of creativity, courage and giving ourselves permission to pursue a different path. Her story was also featured by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) in the August 2026 issue of Accountancy SA.

Through her practice, Hayley continues to explore connection — between people and place, intuition and structure, and the seemingly different worlds of creativity and commerce.