The winners of the 2019 PPC Imaginarium Awards have been announced, with Eastern Cape artist Sonwabiso Ngcai winning the overall award.

Sonwabiso’s win was announced at UJ Gallery on 11 April 2019, where he received a R150 000 cash prize for his sculpture entitled Isigu, or The Snare.

Prizes are awarded across six different categories – Sculpture, Industrial Design, Film, Fashion, Jewellery and Architecture – with a brief to create a work within one of the categories using PPC cement as a material.

Sonwabiso won both the overall award, as well as the Sculpture category prize.

On the sculpture, he explains: “An isigu, in traditional African society, is a contraption used by young boys to hunt birds. It consists of a downward-facing bowl, with one side held open by an upright stick that has a string tied to it, with a few pieces of grain scattered underneath the bowl. Lured by the promise of food, a bird enters the area – the string is tugged, and the bird is captured. In this piece, the use of this simple but effective hunting tool is an analogy for the entrapment of people by religious cults.”

“In South Africa, recent exploitation has included feeding vulnerable congregants snakes and grass, making them drink petrol, sexual abuse, bullying and victimisation – all in the name of faith,” he continues. “Baited by the expectation of salvation and often seduced by promises of wealth, people are increasingly falling into religious cults. The use of concrete refers to the perceived power of faith and how congregants find strength in the Bible. The construction of the trap alludes to temporary church pop-up structures such as tents or rented buildings that appear in strategic places.”

Here is the full list of winners:

SCULPTURE

• Winner: Sonwabiso Ngcai
• Runner-up: Kenneth Shandu

Sculpture Runner-up: Kenneth Shandu

• Special Commendation: Prudence Magagula

Sculpture Special Commendation: Prudence Magagula

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

• Winner: Jomar Dreyer

Industrial Design Winner: Jomar Dreyer

• Runner-up: Jon-Peer Bouwer

Industrial Design Runner-up: Jon-Peer Bouwer

FASHION

• Winner: Cow Mash

Fashion Winner: Cow Mash

• Runner-up: Cheryl Traub Adler
• Special Commendation: Itumeleng Ramakau

Fashion Special Commendation: Itumeleng Ramakau

ARCHITECTURE

• Winner: Wian Jordaan

Architecture Winner: Wian Jordaan

• Runner-up: Suzani van der Merwe

Architecture Runner-up: Suzani van der Merwe

JEWELLERY

• Winner: Khanya Mthethwa

Jewellery Winner: Khanya Mthethwa

• Runner-up: Joani Groenewald

FILM

There was no winner or runner-up in the Film category, but Nirma Madhoo received a special commendation.

For more information, visit ppcimaginarium.co.za.

The post Winners: PPC Imaginarium Awards 2019 appeared first on Visi.

The winners of the 2018 PPC Imaginarium Awards were recently announced at the University of Johannesburg Art Gallery.

The competition received 302 regional entrants and selected 62 national finalists. The overall winner, Chris Soal, is a 24-year-old sculptor and fine arts graduate from Wits University. Along with the coveted title, Chris receives a R150 000 prize.

His piece, titled Imposed Structure to the Detriment of the Members, was made using cement cast into the shape of a deflated and scuffed soccer ball. The piece depicts the dejected way that old soccer balls are discarded. It highlights the impact that the 2010 FIFA World Cup had on South Africa and the debate around how it’s actually benefited the country.

The judging panel of the PPC Imaginarium Awards included acclaimed contemporary artist Mary Sibande, renowned local artist Stephen Hobbs, UJ Art Gallery curator Annali Dempsey, and Daniel van der Merwe, who heads up the Awards.

The five winners in the five categories were:

Film: Phumulani Ntuli

Jewellery: Aleks Ashton

Aleks Ashton – Tiara of the Heart and Head

Fashion: Gabrielle Foulis

Gabrielle Foulis – The Art of Destruction

Sculpture: Chris Soal

Chris Soal – Imposed Structure to the Detriment of the Members

Industrial Design: Giovanni Zambri

All of the above winners were each awarded R50 000 in cash, while the runners up each won R15 000.

For more information, visit ppcimaginarium.co.za.

The post Winners: PPC Imaginarium Awards 2018 appeared first on Visi.

Local architect Handre de la Rey, whose concrete sunglasses won the 2017 PPC Imaginarium Award for Industrial Design, has now made the design available to the public.

As part of his new studio 20 EIGHT, Handre has launched the world’s first commercially available concrete sunglasses, a project that was inspired by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and developed over the course of five years.

Creating the design involved 3D modelling and desktop prototyping, before the modelled prototype was optimised for 3D printing and moulding.

“To produce the sunglasses, conventional clay and resin moulding techniques are used, after which a 1 mm-long silicon skin is added around the master rim to prevent breakages,” explains Handre. “Once the cement is properly cured, the components are sanded and sealed. To assemble the frame, two concrete rims are connected to a 3D-printed bridge and interchangeable temples. Crafted out of cement, stainless steel and 3D printed metal, the sunglasses weigh only 100 grams, making them lightweight and functional.”

Only 1 000 units of the hand-numbered and individually crafted sunglasses have been manufactured, and are available in stone grey and black.

The sunglasses are on sale at GUILD in the Silo District at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, as well as via 20eight.co.za.

The post Concrete Sunglasses by Handre de la Rey appeared first on Visi.

The PPC Imaginarium Awards exhibition will open on Tuesday 31 October 2017 at The AVA Gallery in Cape Town.

The PPC Imaginarium Awards is where up-and-coming artists and designers are encouraged to expand on their creativity with the clever and innovative use of concrete.

Categories for this year’s competition spanned Film, Fashion, Jewellery, Industrial Design and Sculpture. The finalists in each of the categories had to come up with intrepid design ideas within the confines of their respective disciplines.

You’ll be able to engage with the finalists at the exhibition on their processes and how each of them decided to create what they did.

The AVA Gallery is located at 35 Church Street, Cape Town. The exhibition opens on Tuesday 31 October at 5pm. The exhibition will run until 11 November 2017. For more information, visit ppcimaginarium.co.za.

The post PPC Imaginarium Exhibition appeared first on Visi.

The winner of each of the six categories will receive a cash prize of R50 000, with runners-up walking away with R15 000 each. The overall winner will receive the grand prize of R100 000 – that’s in addition to having won their respective category prize.

The PPC Imaginarium Awards, established by PPC Ltd, serves as a platform that allows up-and-coming artists and designers to showcase their talents and skills. A medium used by these creatives is Portland cement-based concrete, which can be used as a primary base or material across the competition’s six categories. You can enter the contest in either the Architecture, Fashion, Film, Industrial Design, Jewellery and Sculpture disciplines.

Creatives can enter their works in multiple categories as long original work is submitted with each submission.

Film entries close on Tuesday, 31 October 2017. Entries for the Sculpture, Industrial Design, Fashion, Jewellery and Architecture categories close on Friday, 1 December 2017. National judging and the 2018 winners announcement will take place in April 2018. The winner and runner-up in the Architecture category will be announced in May 2018.

Entry registrations must be submitted online via ppcimaginarium.co.za.

Find out more information on last year’s winners.

The post PPC Imaginarium Awards 2018: Call To Entry appeared first on Visi.

The PPC Imaginarium Awards winners were announced on 18 May 2017 at a gala event at the UJ Art Gallery in Johannesburg.

This art and design competition aims to support and recognise emerging artists and designers by providing the opportunity to showcase their talents through the medium of concrete.

The winners, who submitted works across the categories of sculpture, industrial design, fashion, jewellery and film, were selected by a panel that included architect and director of the awards Daniel van der Merwe. This year no architecture submissions made it to the finalist round.

Last year’s overall winner was jeweller Mignon Daubermann with her tinted cement rings. This year, emerging artist Mziwoxolo Makalima secured the title with his thought-provoking sculpture submission titled Doubt-Queuing. Fashioned out of concrete and mild steel, his sculpture aims to be the voice of a voiceless, subjugated society.

SCULPTURE

Overall Winner and Category Winner: Mziwoxolo Makalima – Doubt-Queuing

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

Category Winner: Handre de la Rey – “CS Project”

FASHION

Category Winner: Cara Jade Bezuidenhout – “Concrete Journey”

JEWELLERY

Category Winner: Zanele Vilakazi – “Alphga”

FILM

Category Winner: Stefanus Nel – “Ben’s Ladder”

Entries are now open for the 2018 PPC Imaginarium Awards. Find our more online at ppcimaginarium.co.za or on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

The post PPC Imaginarium Awards Winners 2017 appeared first on Visi.

PPC Imaginarium Fashion Category star Mieke Vermeulen presented her new Neo-Africana Autumn/Winter 2017 Collection at SA Fashion Week.

Mieke’s fresh and playful collection boasts an obvious South African feel and was presented as part of the 2016 Sunglass Hut New Talent Search competition. Her collection features garments in pastel hues with gentle splashes of playful colour that are inspired by both traditional South African artisanal techniques and contemporary South African illustrative art. The collection is a successful merging of the traditional and the contemporary and makes use of different cultural cues and various design disciplines.

The young, up-and-coming fashion designer from Pretoria has previously participated in various competitions such as the Elle Rising Star 2013 and was part of the Design Indaba Emerging Creatives programme in 2016. She was also a Finalist in the 2015/2016 PPC Imaginarium Awards in the Fashion Category. Shortly after the show Mieke released a further collection of activewear under the label Mieke.

To view more of Mieke’s work, find her on Facebook.

The post Neo-Africana Collection by Mieke Vermeulen appeared first on Visi.

A must for architects, industrial and interior designers, this year’s 100% Design South Africa has put all the right building blocks in place to stimulate and inspire trade professionals who focus on exterior and interior construction. One of the many highlights of the 2016 event is the carefully curated 100% Concrete Lab, presented by PPC, the leading supplier of cement in southern Africa.

The forward-thinking 100% Concrete Lab is a new addition to the show, and focuses on exciting innovations in the world of cement – with anything from 3D-printed cement to translucent concrete being presented as the design possibilities and materials of the very near future. The aim of the lab is to stimulate experimentation and new thinking around the use of concrete.

“Innovation is recognised by PPC as a key driver for economic growth and development and to provide solutions to the key issues facing people, communities and our country as we all strive for a better and more sustainable future – a ‘Better Life for All’”, says PPC’s resident architect Daniel van der Merwe. “It also allows PPC to promote the use of concrete as a design material and encourage experimentation using Portland Cement in South Africa.”

The 100% Concrete Lab is collaboratively curated by Van Der Merwe, respected artists Stephen Hobbs and Mark Erasmus, and Platform Creative Agency. Visitors ­­– both architects and the public alike – can look forward to an edgy display that presents concrete in unexpected ways. Expect to see the current architectural vogue for Neo Brutalism (where concrete is king) taken to new heights.

One of the main features of the Lab is a selected display of pieces created by the Finalists and Winners of this year’s PPC Imaginarium Awards. The primary aim of the PPC Imaginarium Awards is to recognise and feature innovation and design using Portland Cement-based concrete as a primary inspiration or material across six disciplines: Architecture, Fashion, Sculpture, Jewellery, Industrial Design and Film. The Awards are unique in that they incentivise, award, nurture, profile and assist un-established South African artists and designers in establishing their careers.

Look out for extraordinary pieces that include a fully functional fob watch, concrete speakers that never skip a beat, life-size sculptures, concrete ball gowns and even jewel-like necklaces made of lightweight cement.

The 100% Concrete Lab runs for the duration of 100% Design South Africa, which takes place at Gallagher Convention Centre, Joburg, from 5 – 9 August 2016. The show is co-located with Decorex Joburg and one ticket grants access to both shows.

Dates to remember:

100% Design South Africa, 5 – 9 August 2016

Opening times: 10am – 6pm

Trade-only preview morning: 5 August 10am – 1pm

Media preview: 5 August 10am – 1pm

Trade focused days: 5 August and 9 August

Ticket prices: R110 for adults; R90 for pensioners and scholars; R20 for kids under 12; R80 for trade and exhibitors

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng

For more information, e-mail: 100percentdesign@ThebeReed.co.za, visit: 100percentdesign.co.za or 100% Design South Africa on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

The post 100% Concrete Lab at 100% Design South Africa appeared first on Visi.

Un-established artists and designers stand a chance to change their careers through financial support, recognition, mentorship and guidance by entering the PPC Imaginarium Awards 2016/17.

Having evolved from the longstanding PPC Young Concrete Sculptor Awards, the PPC Imaginarium encourages artists and designers to create and express their abilities using Portland cement-based concrete as a primary base or material. The competition will feature six disciplines in the arts and design fields, namely sculpture, jewellery, architecture, film, industrial design and fashion design.

Boasting prize money to the value of R500 000, each category winner stands a chance to win R50 000, while runner-up contestants receive R15 000. The overall competition winner will receive the grand prize of R100 000 at the winners’ exhibition in 2017. Think you’ve got what it takes to enter? Entry registrations should be submitted online via the official website.

The PPC Imaginarium Awards are open to South African citizens, resident holders as well as foreign students with study permits, who are not professionally established in their respective fields. Artists and designers may enter multiple categories, with an original artwork for each category. Team submissions and collaborations will be accepted. Entries close on Friday 30 September 2016.

The winners in each competition category will be announced in March 2017 and their work will be on display at the University of Johannesburg in Auckland Park. The overall competition winner announcement will take place in April 2017. All finalists’ entries will be showcased in a travelling exhibition, professionally transported by Stuttafords Van Lines.

For more information about the PPC Imaginarium Awards or to view the digital gallery of the 2015/16 finalists’ work, visit ppcimaginarium.co.za.

The post Call To Entry: PPC Imaginarium Awards 2016/17 appeared first on Visi.

The winners of the 2015/2016 PPC Imaginarium Awards have been announced. The purpose behind the awards is to support local up-and-coming creatives within six categories, namely Film, Sculpture, Jewellery, Fashion, Industrial Design and Architecture.

See the list of winners below.

FASHION: Hester Erasmus

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN: August de Wet

SCULPTURE: Janna Kruger

JEWELLERY: Mignon Dauberman

FILM: Kyle Goulden

There was no Architecture winner for the 2015/2016 Awards.

For more information, visit ppcimaginarium.co.za.

The post PPC Imaginarium Awards Winners 2016 appeared first on Visi.