The work of four KZN ceramic artists has been chosen to go on display at the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum at the launch of the inaugural SA Clay Awards in recognition of ceramic excellence in South Africa.
Andrew Walford’s Imbali, Sbonelo Luthuli’s Isiduli, Sesing Frank Nthunya’s Mohope and Astrid Dahl’s Brugmansia will be on display.
Prompted by its acceptance as an affiliate member of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC), The Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum has announced the launch of the inaugural SA Clay Awards, which will exhibit its winning pieces until December 7.
As an organisation affiliated to Unesco and devoted to ceramic excellence, the IAC nod was seen as a momentous opportunity to propose a new biennale award and exhibition, in recognition of the wealth of skill and talent in the South African ceramics landscape.
Alternating annually with the Portrait Award, the inaugural SA Clay Awards celebrates mastery and creativity in the field. A novel structure meant that anyone could enter, and rather than a single winner, the top 50 pieces were acknowledged. The sponsored award money will be shared equally between the creators of the final selection.
Show curator and ceramic artist Hennie Meyer said the medium was so versatile and there were so many ways to interpret, work with and express a concept through clay, choosing one winner would have been next to impossible. “We were really pleased with the range of work entered. A collection of pieces like this shows you the wonder of clay, and what clay can do,” said Meyer.
The exhibition capture the essence of the current ceramics scene in South Africa and aimed to “present a diverse, unbiased collection of clay works that go beyond the singular perspective of any curator or gallery. An embodiment of excellence, richness, expression, concept, and craftsmanship”.
Ten respected international and local panellists – experts in their fields, ranging from renowned ceramic artists to revered academics – each chose their top 50 pieces, with the 50 most voted pieces (by 45 artists) overall forming the final selection. The judging was conducted anonymously, allowing selectors to choose works without any contact or deliberation among one another.
Meyer said it was interesting that out of 518 entries, 260 received votes. “This shows us that not only was the work extremely diverse but also of an incredibly high standard,” he said.
Meyer referred to the words of Ashraf Jamal in his essay An Intimate Materialism published in Clay Formes (2023) to summarise the richness of the medium: “As Caitlin MacDonald reminds us, ‘We have constructed shelters, vessels for food and water, made idols, art objects, vases, currencies, talismans, funerary urns, inscribed laws and myths upon clay surfaces.’ We are wrought from mud. Clay precedes humankind; it will exist long after we are gone.”
The works will be on display at the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum in Durbanville, Cape Town, until December 7.
