WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Courtesy of Africa Press

Located between two worlds – one wild, the other tamed – the internationally acclaimed Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden borders both a rugged mountain wilderness where leopards still roam and the suburbs of Stellenbosch.

In this garden of private myth on the southern tip of Africa, world-renowned sculptor Dylan Lewis explores the notion of the wilderness within. “I think that part of making this garden has been an attempt to understand my inner world by concretising psychological forms in a physical landscape,” he says.

The coffee-table book, The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, represents a walk through the garden. The text draws on excerpts from the sculptor’s tour to guide the reader through more than 60 sculptures spanning his career to date: his early birds; the large and iconic cats and African animals; and the human figures he has explored since 2005 – including shamanic images, male and female torsos, and increasingly abstract, large-scale works. Thoughtfully positioned along three kilometres of paths, each sculpture speaks directly to the landscape and its visitors about the inherent duality of the human condition – life’s dance of opposites and acceptance of our constantly shifting state. | dylanlewis.com

The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden

(Africa Press)

The sculptures featured in this book engage deeply with their surroundings. Their textures draw inspiration from the natural landscape, echoing the rugged cliffs of nearby mountains and the gentle curves of distant hills.  

The book is available from The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden for delivery and Everard Read Galleries.

One lucky VISI reader stands a chance of winning a copy of The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, valued at R650. Enter the competition, here.

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Explore South Africa’s most Instagram-worthy botanical gardens and outdoor art spaces.

In celebration of summer, we round up the country’s “open to the public” and infinitely snappable botanical best.

Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, Stellenbosch

Top Attraction: Outdoor Art Gallery

More than 60 of the celebrated artist’s sculptures are dotted throughout the seven-hectare Japanese-inspired indigenous gardens, flanked by mountains on all sides. Visits to the “outdoor gallery” are by appointment only. Visit dylanlewis.com/garden

Babylonstoren, Franschhoek

Top Attraction: Prickly Pear Maze

There’s not much that isn’t Instagrammable at Babylonstoren, but its prickly pear maze is one of the most snapped (and enjoyed) areas of the 200-hectare farm. Daily garden tours start at 10am; join one to learn about the more than 300 varieties of plants in the formal garden, all of which are edible or have medicinal value. Visit babylonstoren.com

Delta Park, Randburg

Top Attraction: Cosmos Field

Although a beautiful space to visit all year round, Delta Park comes alive in shades of pink and white in March and April as summer turns to autumn and the cosmos bloom. The 108-hectare park is a perennial favourite among walkers and cyclists, and offers three tree-lined dams, plus bird-watching hides.

Redberry Farm, George

Go Top Attraction: Largest Permanent Hedge Maze in Southern Hemisphere: The Maze

Redberry Farm on the Garden Route is home to the largest permanent hedge maze in the southern hemisphere. A real hit with the little people, the maze is made up of seven strawberry stations, a 25-metre underground tunnel and a lookout point. The hedges comprise more than 30 000 Syzygium paniculatum plants. Visit redberryfarm.co.za

Indiwe Park, Braamfontein

Top Attraction: Outdoor Art Installations

Braamfontein’s newest green space, Indwe Park, was brought to life by celebrated indigenous gardener Patrick Watson and artist and designer James Delaney. The serene outdoor sanctuary is alive with art – and one of its most impressive pieces is the 6m x 6m mosaic compass, designed by the late artist and community activist Andrew Lindsay, and brought to life by his Spaza Art Gallery team.

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On 9 September 2017, a sunny spring afternoon, guests joined VISI’s Editor-in-Chief Sumien Brink on the sold-out tour of Dylan Lewis’s Sculpture Garden in Stellenbosch.

After a glass of welcome bubbles, courtesy of Graham Beck, the tour got started in Dylan’s underground studio, a cavernous space filled with sculpture moulds and charcoal sketches.

The group then headed outdoors into the 7 hectare garden that Dylan describes as a “wilderness”.

Made up of over three kilometres of pathways, the garden is covered in indigenous flora and dotted with approximately 60 of Dylan’s sculptures, from his renowned works of animals and hybrids to his latest pieces focused on Rodin-inspired nudes.

The tour took readers through a large part of the garden, where Dylan talked guests through the meaning behind his works and how they fit into their natural surroundings.

Readers finished off the two-hour walk with a glass of Graham Beck Brut, home-made quiches and delicious macarons, before heading off with a goodie bag with the latest of issue of VISI and a bottle of Graham Beck Gorgeous.

Read all about this beautiful space on page 106 in the latest issue of VISI (VISI 91). You can also visit the garden yourself, by appointment only.

Go to dylanlewis.co.za for more information.

The post VISI Great Spaces Tour: Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden appeared first on Visi.