Elmarie graduated with a BA (FA) Information Design from the University of Pretoria in 1986 and then worked at studios in Cape Town, Sweden and Stellenbosch. From 1991 to 1994 she worked as a designer at the media centre and as part-time lecturer at Stellenbosch University (SU). In 1995 she pursued her interest in glass art by spending a year at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2002 she completed a BA (FA) (cum laude) at the Glass Department at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in the Netherlands.
In 2009 she enrolled for a PhD in Curriculum Studies at SU and completed her thesis in 2012, focusing on social responsibility and critical citizenship in art education. She is currently an associate professor and coordinates the MA in Visual Arts (Art Education) and supervises master’s and PhD students. Elmarie has exhibited locally and internationally and has done public and corporate commissions
