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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Three new solo shows at Southern Guild in Cape Town explore diverse cultural narratives through contemporary ceramic and sculptural art.

Running concurrently until 22 August, 2024, Southern Guild‘s new solo exhibitions offer a distinct yet complementary perspective, showcasing the rich tapestry of contemporary sculptural art.

Adam Birch’s solo show, Like Something Almost Being Said, features hand-sculpted timbre works that reflect a deep connection to the natural world. The ceramic pieces in Madoda Fani’s Madoda: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men challenge and reframe perceptions of Black masculinity in South Africa. King Houndekpinkou’s vibrant ceramics, showcased in Six Prayers, blend West African and Japanese influences, creating a unique dialogue between tradition and modernity.

Adam Birch: Like Something Almost Being Said

After more than two decades of working as an arborist, Adam Birch’s practice roots itself in an intimate understanding of the language of trees.

The exhibition’s title has been drawn from Philip Larkin’s 1967 poem, ‘The Trees’. The English poet’s composition honours the tree as an allegorical vessel for the cycles of decay and rebirth. Through this lens, Adam’s works become carriers for something budding and full of promise; arising from what was once lifeless, now infused with new vitality in their reimagined, transformed forms. Each of Adam’s artworks has been made through the singular use of a felled tree.

Like Something Almost Being Said features forked seating and large-scale functional forms emerging from a conversation between object and maker. The forks are a significant and recurring shape within Adam’s sculptural vocabulary. These split forms appear at a crucial point in the tree’s structure. Adapted to withstand a lot of pressure and support the weight of the large top branches, the fork contains the hardest wood and the most unpredictable grain. While other arborists ordinarily discard this part of the tree’s form, Adam is captivated by it. Spontaneously led by the tree’s grain, the shape is extracted, and meticulously refined to accommodate one – or multiple–seated bodies.

Adam relinquishes predetermined form, allowing each timber piece to guide him. “It’s about exploring the different shapes the wood can yield – pushing the boundary of what the material can hold,” he shares. “It’s a process of refinement rather than making.”

Adam’s artworks present a paradox: these forms appear simple, straightforward, singular in their material and immediately understood. Yet they’re of a metaphysical quality; they have been changed in essence into something of utility and function, imbued with a reinvigorated purpose that diverges from the essential quest of a tree: to simply be.

Madoda Fani: Madoda: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men

Inheriting its title from the artist’s given name (meaning ‘men’) and the acclaimed work of non-fiction by writer James Agee and photographer Walker Evans, this exhibition is a mapping of urban Black masculinities that challenges hetero-normative narratives of the township Black man in South Africa. Re-imagining and re-imaging ubiquitous domestic objects in clay, Madoda Fani‘s work deconstructs reductive and harmful cliches of Black masculinities, re-fashioning them with masterful skill and attention to craft.

Challenging this fixity, Madoda: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men is a gesture of gratitude for and recognition of the Black men who shaped Madoda. The artist puts this care into his painstakingly and delicately detailed work. Each carved line and indentation is an imprint of love.

Madoda uses the primus stove as a central allegorical object to speak about Black manhood and vulnerability. Known for their durability and efficiency, these quickly become commonplace household items in lower-income communities, solving issues of both space and power. Madoda reconstitutes the object – softer and more fragile in clay than it is in its traditional steel, protected by spikes and scales, its defensive coat of armour.

In Gugulethu, young men and boys gather around these synthetic hearths, forming bonds of community that defy the historical intents of the township space. This body of work recognises how manufactured tropes about the Black man and the township are mobilised through violent stereotyping and the overdetermination of Black identity.

King Houndekpinkou: Six Prayers 

King Houndekpinkou presents Six Prayers as multi-textural vessels, showcasing the coexisting alchemy of science, pop culture, philosophy, mysticism, and myth.

Known for his distinctive vocabulary of shape, texture and colour, King’s work explores unexpected hybridities, the product of a diasporic worldview that resists cultural borders. He has developed an explorative practice that blends tradition and ancient spirituality with modern techniques, drawing heavily from Japanese and West African culture. 

Produced over eight weeks while participating in the GUILD Residency in Cape Town, Six Prayers fuses several traditions with future possibilities to offer new myths to new gods, complete with their ritualistic objects. Having learned the meditative art of wheel-thrown ceramics under master potter Toshiaki Shibuta in Bizen – one of the six ancient kilns of Japan known as the Roku Koyō – he infuses a deep spiritual intent into his process, creating vessel forms that he then stacks and clusters into sculptural totems.

King’s use of texture is masterful and unexpected. “What really gives life to a piece is its texture. The texture makes the colour come alive. I want to make pieces that look like they’re living, moving, and breathing.” Clay forms are curved into smooth precision, only to be disrupted by shocks of colour, sharp stalks, and crackling glazes. Teasing at biomimicry, spikes borrow their form from the natural world. Like thorns, they protect the vessel, allowing it to hold some of its beauty for itself. 

Like Something Almost Being Said, Madoda: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men and Six Prayers, are showing at Southern Guild Cape Town until 22 August 2024. | southernguild.com

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Straight lines and curves meet in Kassa Studio’s series of playful architectural bird baths.

Kassa Studio, founded in 2017 by sisters Korine Krüger and Sanet Fau Stegmann, focuses on creating objects that tell stories, have purpose, and connect people through well-crafted design.

Their latest collection, aptly referred to as ‘architecture for birds’, comprises of a trio of sculptural handcrafted bird baths which are intended to add a pop of colour to any outdoor space and invite birds to have a drink of water.

Made from powder-coated mild steel and set on a concrete base, each bird bath is handmade by highly-skilled local artisans.

Finished in bright coral, the round and angular openings of Bird Bath 1 create access voids and give your feathered friends a great views of the garden. Bird Bath 2, with its rich khaki hue, is characterised by a circular splash pool raised and supported by a square nested base. The seamless lines of Bird Bath 3 stretch and curve around a circular bird-viewing window. This narrow elevated outdoor sculpture comes in a shade of ivory.  

“Good design is not limited to scale, and everyone should own a thing of beauty that makes their heart sing,” says Korine Krüger. We couldn’t agree more. | kassa-studio.com

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Ferdi B Dick‘s latest exhibition, “Lion’s Breath” draws on inspiration from the important people and animals in his life. We chat with him about his new creations and the challenging and thrilling world of sculpture.

How did you start your artistic journey?

I started my artistic journey as a 3D illustrator and animator, as I have always been drawn to the world of digital art and the endless possibilities it offers. In particular, I found myself really enjoying the process of sculpting in 3D.

After a while, I decided to invest in a 3D printer to take my work to the next level. I was absolutely hooked by the feeling of being able to physically hold and interact with a sculpture that I had created in the digital realm. From that moment on, I knew that I had found something I really enjoyed! I continued to experiment with different mediums, such as bronze, stainless steel, and crystal.

I believe that my background in 3D illustration and animation has given me a unique perspective when it comes to creating art. I can blend traditional techniques with modern technology to create truly unique and visually striking pieces. I think I enjoy having my sculptures so shiny and perfect because, on the computer, it is natural to have things mathematically precise and “correct”.

What is the process behind creating your sculptures?

My process is predominantly digital. I use a large tablet-like screen to do my concept drawing and sculpting. This enables me to create a wide range of options and variations for each sculpture, allowing me to achieve the perfect shape.

Once I am satisfied with the digital prototype, I move on to creating a small 3D-printed version of the sculpture. I use this as a reference to ensure that the final product will be as close to the digital version as possible.

When I have a selection of good options, I send the files to be printed to the desired size and then cast. The most time-consuming part of my process is polishing the sculptures to perfection, which is a vital step in bringing out the true beauty of each piece.

Overall, my digital approach allows me to have more control over the outcome of each piece, and the ability to experiment with different variations before finalizing the product.

What inspires your creations?

For the exhibition artwork for Lion’s Breath, I can explain that my grandfather was a big inspiration for my work. He loved going to the Kruger National Park, and lions were his favourite animals. He used to make a powerful growling sound with us kids, which was his way of connecting with us. I think this connection with my grandfather and his love for lions has influenced my artistic style.

I noticed that when a lion growls, it sticks out its tongue, which is reminiscent of the posture in yoga called Lion’s Breath. This posture involves sticking out your tongue and making a loud growling sound to release built-up emotions, tension, and pressure. I wanted to incorporate this idea into my sculptures and create a breathing space for people to let go, alleviate stress, and heal from the daily routine.

I chose not to focus on any political or social issues as many other artists have already explored this arena, and I wanted my art to be more about letting go and creating a space for healing. So, in short, my inspiration comes from my grandfather, the power of lions, and the healing properties of yoga.

How do you go about picking your colour schemes?

My process for picking colour schemes is heavily inspired by the natural environment around me. I am mostly at my country house in Koringberg, which has a massive garden filled with various succulents, each with its unique colours and shades.

I find inspiration in the different colours and combinations of colours in the garden. I take photographs of the succulents and their flowers and use them as a reference when choosing colour schemes for my artwork.

Ultimately, I aim to create a colour scheme that perfectly complements the subject matter of my artwork, while also evoking a specific mood or emotion. Whether it’s a calm and peaceful vibe or a more energetic and vibrant feel, I use the colours I observe in the natural world and in other forms of art to create a unique and visually striking palette.

Do you have a particular favourite?

As an artist, it’s hard to pick just one favourite sculpture. However, if I had to choose, I would say that my favourite sculpture is typically the one that I have just finished working on. I put so much time, effort, and emotion into each piece that I tend to feel a strong connection to it once it’s completed.

Currently, I am really proud of the “Lion’s Breath Lion” sculpture that I recently created. It was a challenging piece to work on, but I was really happy with the end result. The sculpture captures the power, grace, and majesty of the lion, and I think it would make a beautiful addition to any art collection.

Of course, as an artist, I am always looking to push myself and try new things. So, while the “Lion’s Breath Lion” is my favourite right now, I am excited to see what new ideas and projects will capture my imagination in the future.

How do you keep size from intimidating you?

There is something about seeing a sculpture come to life on a larger scale that is exciting for me. Of course, working on a big piece can be intimidating at first – there’s a lot of space to fill and a lot of details to consider. But I try to focus on the possibilities rather than the challenges.

That being said, I also love working on smaller sculptures. They allow me to experiment with different forms and styles, and they can be really fun to experience in person. The small size of these sculptures allows for a level of intimacy and detail that isn’t always possible with larger pieces.

Describe your work in three words.

I would choose “motion frozen in time” as my preferred answer.

I believe that my work captures a sense of movement and energy, but at the same time, it is also frozen in time. My sculptures are three-dimensional representations of a moment in time, and they convey a sense of stillness and permanence even as they capture the energy of the subject.

At the same time, I also like the idea of “fun frozen in motion.” My work often features playful and whimsical subjects, and I try to infuse each piece with a sense of joy and lightheartedness. So both of these descriptions capture different aspects of my artistic style and approach.

Do you have any influences?

For my current show, one of my biggest influences is my pets and life partner. Their unique personalities and behaviours often inspire me to create art that captures their essence. Additionally, I am heavily influenced by Asian cartoons and art toys, drawn to the bold, colourful, and playful nature of these art forms. I strive to incorporate elements of these influences into my work.

Where do you see sculpture going in South Africa? 

There is so much talent and creativity in this country, and I see more and more artists exploring new techniques and pushing the boundaries of what sculpture can be. I also think that there is a growing interest in contemporary sculpture among collectors and art enthusiasts in South Africa. This is encouraging, as it means there is a market for sculptors to showcase their work.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?

If I wasn’t an artist, I think I would probably be some sort of engineer. I enjoy the process of creating and building things, so engineering would be a natural fit for me. However, I can’t imagine myself not being involved in some form of creative work, as it is such a huge part of who I am.

What are your plans for the rest of 2023? 

I have a lot of exciting projects in the works for the rest of 2023. Currently, I’m working on a public sculpture for the city of Zhanjiang, China. The sculpture will feature a massive 9-meter-high stylistic whale with a water splash, and it will be located in a prime spot in the new coastal CBD of Zhanjiang International Riverside. This project has been a great challenge for me, but it has also been incredibly rewarding to see the sculpture take shape and come to life.

In addition to this project, I’m also busy designing a predominantly crystal sculpture for a solo exhibition later in the year. I’m excited about this project because it’s a departure from some of my other work and will allow me to explore new materials and techniques. I’m confident that it will be a visually stunning and emotionally impactful piece that will connect with viewers on a deep level.

“Lion’s Breath” by Ferdi B Dick is on until the 11 March 2023 at Everard Read Gallery, 6 Jellicoe Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg.

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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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Ever wondered who inspired our current generation of architects? Anthony Orelowitz, a founding director of Paragon Architects, counts encounters with sculptures among some of the most moving and influential moments in forming his sensibility.

It starts to make sense that some of architect Anthony Orelowitz’s most profound experiences of “form in space”, a phrase he uses often, were sculptures, when you consider the corporate buildings his firm Paragon Architects is known for. From early breakthroughs (for the firm, and the Sandton skyline) like 15 Alice Lane, to landmarks such as Sasol Place, Alexander Forbes and 140 West Street, he’s added strong, sculptural forms to Joburg’s richest square mile. They’re often large and powerful, and they command the space around them. 

To take half a step back, though, he knew he wanted to be an architect when his parents built a house when he was just six or seven years old. He remembers that the architect was Michael Challis, a significant figure in local architecture in his time. “In those days, it was quite a beautiful house,” says Anthony. “Even at that age, I could understand what the architect had done spatially, and it stuck with me. “From [then on], I wanted to do nothing else.”

READ MORE: Johannesburg Home Designed by Anthony Orelowitz

(The late architectural historian Clive Chipkin lavishes significant attention on Challis’s own house, which he notes was “engaged with the landscape [and] responsive to the site”. He also comments on its “strong regional factor” – all of which is interesting when considering the house Anthony designed for himself recently. But more on that later.) 

The next part of Anthony’s “greater education” came not from a direct architectural influence, but from attending art classes with the famed Bill Ainslie, starting at just 11 or 12. Ainslie was a dynamic and influential artistic force on the local art scene from the 1960s until the 1980s, not only as an artist himself and a teacher, but as a pioneer of radically democratic multiracial art collectives, from the Johannesburg Art Foundation to the Federated Union of Black Artists and the Alexandra Arts Centre. He was closely associated with the likes of Dumile Feni and David Koloane, with whom he established the groundbreaking (and internationally replicated) Thupelo workshops, which eventually led to the establishment of the Bag Factory in Newtown. His early art classes, Anthony remembers, “were very innovative”. At the age of 13 or 14, they taught him to weld when he showed an interest, so that he could create metal sculptures. 

READ MORE: Barloworld Equipment’s Headquarters Designed by Paragon Architects

Later, as an architecture student travelling to Rome for the first time, he suddenly found himself among the buildings and streets he’d replicated so often in drawings. Their transformation from “two-dimensional plane into three-dimensional experience” was incredibly powerful for him. Nevertheless, he was perhaps most impressed by some of the sculptures he encountered in the city, especially Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne. 

“I just thought, this is the most beautiful piece of art I have ever seen in my life,” he says.  Around the same time, he counts visiting Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion as “definitive” in its impact. He found the way in which Mies had created form and space through the simplicity of plane and texture – the combination of the absolute rationality of the design and the “simple richness of the material” – hugely inspirational. 

Much later, in his 30s, an encounter with a sculpture of a different kind – which was also about a stripped-down experience of material and space – profoundly affected his spatial sensibilities. He went to the Guggenheim Bilbao. “I didn’t like the building,” he says (he’s not much of a Frank Gehry fan), but inside were American sculptor Richard Serra’s Torqued Ellipses – gigantic, steel cone-like forms with tilting walls that you walk through, and that seem to bend space as you move through them. They brought home the emotional dimension of “a human form moving through space”. The kinetic engagement with the form, Anthony says, counts as “one of the most amazing and moving experiences I’ve ever had… You have these epiphanies right through your life.” 

Although the “experiential journey” is often underplayed inside Paragon’s corporate buildings, a walk through the atriums of Alexander Forbes in Sandton should be enough to convince you of Anthony’s sensitivity to the dynamics of space. And it is something that has become even more emphatic in his recent work. 

Take, for example, one of his recent favourite projects, Barloworld Equipment’s headquarters in Isando – an incredible, bubble-shaped showroom for earth-moving equipment, featured in VISI 117. It might be one of Paragon’s smaller projects, but its curving shape, which allows the building to reveal itself dynamically along a journey rather than all at once, bears more than a little of this direction in Anthony’s approach. 

The experience of designing his own house (which was featured on the cover of VISI 118) after concentrating on corporate buildings for decades also prompted a shift in Anthony’s work, igniting a fascination with the detail and intricacy of smaller projects. 

The architect who inspired him most in the design of his home was the Brazilian Marcio Kogan. “For me, he is the greatest house designer of our age,” says Anthony. Kogan’s work prompted him to consider how the building would engage with its environment (perhaps taking him full circle to his formative encounter with Challis) and, once again, how the simple deployment of materiality could generate emotion. “I wanted to create a space that evoked a sense of calm and peace,” he says. 

He refers to the design of his home as a matrix of pavilions and lush planted atriums that allow the whole panhandle plot to flow through the house and extend to its outer edges. He describes it as “pushing through space” – taking plane, volume and space, and a simple palette of rich materials, to “turn it into reality”. 

Given the changing corporate and economic climate, and Anthony’s newfound fascination with the kind of space-making that concentrates on volume rather than form, you can’t help but think there’s more of this to come. But, as the architect points out, the profundity of the emotional experience of form in space remains the golden thread that runs through his work. 

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Jo Roets’ most recent solo exhibition entitled MURG consisted of 22 clay sculptural works inspired by bones and the history and biology behind these body parts.

“Since childhood, I’ve had a deep love for bones. Perhaps it was the excitement of looking for them and finding them. I am not sure why this enchantment with bones is so strong in me,” the Capetonian artist explains. “Maybe it’s because they are reminders of our mortality – the impermanence of life and a return to earth after death.”

Jo calls the process of her art-making “light relief sculpture – based on how she adapts her medium, air drying clay which is rolled out into paper-thin segments and then built upon each other. She then uses tools to score the forms with patterns, holes, indentations and incisions.

“My initial thoughts for this body of work was focused on fossilised bones. But art-making is an organic process, and plans can easily move in a different direction. A gut feeling surfaced and the phrase “Ek voel dit in die murg van my bene” became a mantra in the back of my mind. From this, the work for this exhibition grew,” she elaborates on the process.

READ MORE: 4 Local Ceramicists We Love

The concept behind the exhibition is not related to being scientifically correct but represents a metaphorical search for a feeling. “My process raised questions like – Seeing that we have captured DNA images, what would our gut feeling look like if we could capture it visually?” Jo asks. “And would everyone’s gut DNA look the same or would some be more intricate than others? Why do some of us trust our gut and why are some oblivious to this powerful tool? Is this because following one’s gut is not always a comfortable experience? How much of this power do we give over to a higher power rather than honouring our own intuition?”

Cracks and engravings on some works represent the ancient language of oracle bones and their relation to predictions, while the gold leaf on some works gives a nod to Kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold.

The exhibition can be viewed online via her website, here.

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Local artist Strijdom van der Merwe’s optical illusion artwork “Staircase to Heaven” is on display as part of the Nanhui Art Project in Taiwan.

Using smart angles and clever design, the staircase appears to ascend far into the sky when viewed from the correct points. The staircase is, in fact, a two-dimensional vertical ladder that uses tricks of the eye to give its real feel.

Van der Merwe is well known for his installations, acclaimed land art and large-scale sculptural works – which all nod towards the environment and nature. Known for using natural materials found on-site, he has work shown across the globe.

The staircase holds no horizontal depth and relies completely on the viewpoints and angles perceived by the person observing the art.

First unveiled at the Hermanus Fine Arts Festival in 2016, it was then bought by a private art collector and is housed at Creation wine farm in the Hemel and Aarde. Strijdom recreated the work with a slight twist for the Nanhui Art Project. He then commissioned a local Taiwanese artist and craftsman to assemble and build the new version overseas.

Looking for more on local art? Take a look at these South African abstract artists.

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The first instalment of Atang Tshikare’s “Peo e Atang” was recently on show in Cape Town. We spoke to Atang about the inspiration behind the three-part project, and his journey as an artist, designer and creator.

Can you tell us a bit about your background as a designer and artist?

I’ve been sketching for as long as I can remember. During my primary-school years, my mother enrolled me for art classes at the Mmabana Cultural Centre in Thaba ’Nchu. My time at Mmabana was paramount, because it is where my passion and skill were initially nurtured.

In my first year of studying graphic design at Technikon Free State, I came across a graffiti artist named Rusty, from Johannesburg. I was impressed by his expressive style and skill. I realised I was intrigued by a rather skewed approach to art and design, so I coined Sqew as my graffiti name, and started tagging and bombing across the City of Roses.

I relocated to Cape Town in 2009 and, a year later, founded Zabalazaa Design, where I focused on corporate commissions – customising sneakers, painting murals, and doing surface design on skateboards and bicycles. In 2012, I had my first surface design collaboration with furniture designer Laurie Wiid, and in 2016 my first bronze sculpture trio – Maotwana Finyela, Le bone Lebone and Tuka ka Madolo – was sold at Design Miami/ with Southern Guild.

How did you dream up the concept of “Peo e Atang”?

The birth of my son Peo, who is my firstborn, inspired the narrative that informed “Peo e Atang”. Created in collaboration with Peo’s mother, it’s a three-part coming-of-age adventure in which the main themes are hope, transcending adversity and self-realisation. The story is based on the fictional experiences and characters that 11-year-old Peo encounters on his odyssey, which traverses the physical and spiritual realms. It is meant to be a guide for Peo, to help him navigate the ups and downs of life so that he can carve his own course one day. The first instalment includes sculptures, photographs and drawings that were exhibited from 29 April to 19 May 2021 in Cape Town.

How do you see the exhibition evolving?

All three instalments of “Peo e Atang” will consist of a visual body of work, including drawings, sculptures and photographs, followed by a published narrative with illustrations. The second and third instalments (to be exhibited in 2022 and 2023) will expand to incorporate a soundscape element in collaboration with a few African musicians. We’re also looking at animation as an additional element. In 2024-2025, the entire trilogy will be presented as a comprehensive body of work, including the published narrative with illustrations, visual artworks, a soundscape and an animated film.

What is your artistic process?

Every project is unique. For instance, with the “Peo e Atang” show, it was important for me to be as informed as possible about certain cultural, spiritual and traditional practices of our foremothers and forefathers. To this end, my wife Tlalane Lekhanya-Tshikare – who is a sociolinguistics PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town – and I conducted research, mostly in Thaba ’Nchu, where I grew up, and Thaba-Tseka in the Maloti Mountains of Lesotho, where she grew up, as well as other parts of South Africa. We collected a corpus of folklore and legend, traditional prayers, songs and games in Setswana and Sesotho. One of the moments that stands out is when we visited ntatemoholo Credo Mutwa and his wife nkgono Kedisaletse Mutwa in Kuruman in October 2019.

It is worth pointing out that my drawings sometimes come before the narratives or research, because they can be based on something in my mind that I cannot articulate in words – a sketch that flows without much thought. The drawings are usually based on a single creature, an environment, or a mix of the two; they harmoniously influence each other, just as it happens in nature or in folklore. The sculptures are created in a similar way, but in their case I begin with a maquette, which can be twisted and reconfigured until it makes sense in my mind. As a creator, I give life to a form, and populate an environment in which it can thrive or to which it can adapt.

For more information, visit atangtshikare.com

Looking for more on local art? Take a look at all the local virtual exhibitions, here.

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With over 200 sculptures on show, the fourth edition of SculptX, which opens this spring in Joburg, will offer visitors a glimpse into the different artistic approaches being applied to sculptural works.

Nature and culture are set to collide and coalesce at Africa’s largest sculpture fair: SculptX. This vital fair was established by The Melrose Gallery in 2017 in association with Melrose Arch, and this year will be on view across multiple venues from September 3 until October 24.

SculptX provides a space for artists at different levels in their careers. Established artists – Anton Smit, Botha, Willie Bester, Pitika Ntuli, Andre Stead and Strijdom van der Merwe amongst numerous others – will show alongside a younger set of artists pushing the boundaries of the medium such as Sophie Van Wyk, Bucktowar, Mandy Johnston and Kenneth Shandu as well as other emerging artists still exploring the possibilities of sculpture.

A number of artists participating in this year’s, SculptX, South Africa’s largest annual sculpture fair, are pushing the boundaries of sculpture in interesting ways. Notably, the recent popularity and interest in ceramic art has infiltrated this year’s edition, with clay works by Nindya Bucktowar and Chuma Maweni standing out.

For Bucktowar working with clay helps the artist reconnect to the earth.

“Clay is an elemental material with an ancestral link to our evolution as a species,” says the architect-turned artist of her clay installations, which consists of hanging clay forms and larger organic sculptural ones that echo both the natural and built environments or where the two might have once met. 

Maweni is interested in delving into historical vernaculars. His pit-fired clay works are created using the same techniques used by Nguni tribes before him, though his end-product appears like contemporary abstract forms.  Sandile Radebe also evokes African culture in his abstract sculptures which are intended to echo the iziqhaza – the ear plugs used to adorn the sliced earlobes in the isiZulu tradition of Ukuklekla.  

“These knowledge systems (which include the medicinal properties of herbs) are the fascination of my recent works whereby I extrapolate coded messages, scripts and beautification of the Zulu material culture towards an artistic end,” says Radebe.  

He also references “regional colour schemes of Zulu beadwork to signify variations in Zulu material culture as well to conceptually connote variants in meaning and function,” he says. 

Female artists are represented strongly in the fair with works by well-known artists such as Noria Mabasa, Wilma Cruise, Elizabeth Balcomb, and Ledelle Moe among many others, dispelling the myth that sculpture is primarily the preserve of male artists. 

“We have put much effort into sourcing female and young artists from the previously disadvantaged communities to give them the benefit of this valuable platform as they are often overlooked and under-represented in this genre,” observes Craig Mark, the director of the Melrose gallery.  

Participating artists at this year’s SculptX:

SculptX runs from 3 September to 24 October 2021 will be shown at the Melrose Gallery and a number of other venues at Melrose Arch, which include the Daytona showroom, as well as Sandton City’s Diamond Walk.

Looking for more on local art? Take a look at all the local virtual exhibitions, here.

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