The Largest Annual Sculpture Fair In South Africa

Over 200 artworks created by more than 90 established and emerging sculptors will be showcased in numerous indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the Melrose Arch Precinct. These include The Melrose Gallery, the 8 000 sqm Daytona showroom, Stanlib, the African Pride Hotel, Letsema Holdings, One On Whiteley, the Galleria and other public spaces.

SculptX was formed by The Melrose Gallery, in association with Melrose Arch to provide a valuable platform to promote sculpture and sculptors to those who live, work and play in the precinct, as well as art collectors and enthusiasts in general. Sculpture has seen a strong increase in demand over the last 5 years leading to the establishment of many new foundries.

But we have traditionally witnessed underrepresentation of sculpture created by female artists and those from the previously disadvantaged communities which we hope to positively impact on.

SculptX provides emerging sculptors with the opportunity to exhibit alongside some of our most established artists, which is often not the case.

Participating artists include such notables as Noria Mabasa, Willie Bester, Pitika Ntuli, Vusi Khumalo, Wilma Cruise, Gordon Froud, Adejoke Tugbiyele and Strijdom van der Merwe amongst numerous others.

Megan Theunissen and Ruzy Rusike, the curators, have considered more than 350 works in order to select over 200 sculptures for showcase this year. These come from different cities throughout South Africa and include numerous mediums ranging from bronze, steel, found objects and stone to wood, crystal, glass, grass, fibre glass, carbon fibre and even virtual reality.

“This fair is quite an assault on the senses, but in an extremely stimulating and positive way. To see so many sculptures in one area representing so many different media and styles is very rare and has proven extremely popular, consistently attracting a large crowd of artists, art collectors, art enthusiasts and media alike”,  Craig Mark – The Melrose Gallery director.

The Fair is accompanied by the ‘Sculpture Dialogues’ which consist of a panel discussion involving experts who will discuss issues of pertinence to sculpture in Africa.

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.

Education also plays an integral role in SculptX, both for emerging sculptors who have the opportunity to hone their practice and to learn from so many different mediums and styles, and the public by making sculpture more accessible.

SculptX is a testament to the increasing number of talented sculptors who are working with a diversity of materials, new mechanisms and technologies that are testing their production and creativity, the growing demand for sculpture from local and international collectors seeking powerful Pan-African narratives and a desire to encourage the continued growth of the genre within South Africa and the African continent at large”, say curators Megan Theunissen and Ruzy Rusike.

 Some Of The Highlights Include:

 Adejoke Tugbiyele Exhibits At SculptX 2019

Adejoke Tugbiyele is a talented, award-winning international visual artist, sculptor, filmmaker, writer, activist and Fulbright scholar. Born in Brooklyn but of Nigerian descent, Adejoke has a Masters in Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

She has exhibited at The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, The Brooklyn Museum, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, The Newark Museum, The Jewish Museum of New York, The United Nations Headquarters in New York, The Museum of Arts and Design and the Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos Nigeria amongst numerous others.

She was awarded the Rinehart School of Sculpture’s Amalie Rothschild Award in 2013, the Janet and Walter Sondheim Prize in 2013 (semi-finalist) and the William M. Phillips Award for best figurative sculpture in 2012.
Bold and exploratory in her work, she challenges deeply held complacency and disturbing notions about her own gender and sexual identity in society. She currently lives and works in Johannesburg.

Visitors to SculptX will be treated to some of Adejoke’s most recent works made from grass from brooms that speak to issues of ‘labour’ and women’s sexuality.

Jenna Burchell:

Jenna will be exhibiting a sculpture from her ‘Songsmith’ series. These powerful and moving works emit a sound when

the audience stands near them bringing one closer to nature and the history of the earth and all who have lived on our planet.

Noria Mabasa – A National Treasure To Exhibit At SculptX:

Noria Mabasa, one of South Africa’s most acclaimed sculptors, will be exhibiting some of her rare wooden sculptures in SculptX 2019. Born in 1938, Mam Noria still lives and works in Limpopo and is the most renowned Venda wood carver.

The Department of Arts & Culture unveiled a book in Mam Noria’s honour in August 2019 that acknowledges her as a “living human treasure”.

Born From Fire

Noria Mabasa

2018

Wood

100 x 100 x 120 cm

Oupavusi Mokwena:

Oupavusi Mokwena consistently attracts much attention for his creativity and interesting use of materials. He was selected as a finalist in the Sasol New Signature Art Competition and Design Indaba 2009 and 2010. His experience includes interior design and product development including carpentry and wood work and he has created various products for Carrol Boyes.

Kenneth Shadu:

Kenneth is generating much interest for his powerful artworks created from different media across various genre including drawing, prints, sculpture and installations.

He won the runner-up award for the PPC Imaginarium in sculpture and won the Emma Smith Art Scholarship award in 2019 and was selected as the finalist for Sasol New Signature Art Competition in 2018.

Kenneth participated in the Thupelo Art Workshop 2018 and Artist Career Boot Camp Programme 2019.

Kenneth has entered an interesting sculpture titled ‘Boxed’. The work is made from concrete and found clothes.

Title: Boxed

Kenneth Shadu

Concrete and found clothes

130 x 70 x 50 cm

Edition 1 of 1

Additional Confirmed Artists (Alphabetical Order by First Name):

Andre Stead, Adejoke Tugbiyele, Adriaan Diedericks, Alexander von Klitzing, Andre Prinsloo, Anton Smit, Arno Morland, Ben Tuge, Bridget Modema, Bob Thixon, Caddelle Faulkner, Carl Roberts, Cecilia Wilmot Ballam, Cecilia van Vuuren, Christiaan Diedericks, Cornelia Stroop, Cobus Haupt, Collen Maswanganyi, Cow Mash, Claire and Seth Falconer, David Brits, Di Miller, Dikeledi Mapanyona, Dora Prevost, Dominique Albinski, Ella Cronje, Gordon Froud, Grace Da Costa, Jacques Dhont, Jake Singer, Jenna Burchell, Jessica Foli, Johannes Maswanganyi, Jonathan van der Walt, Keith Calder, Kim Burgun, Kobus La Grange, Kieran Toselli, Kenneth Shandu, Karin Lijnes, Leanne Olivier, Lebogang Mogul Mabusela, Lee-at Meyerov, Lothar Bottcher, Louis Chanu, Malose Pete, Mark Chapman, Mark Swart, Mbali Tshabalala, Mncedi Madolo, Mhlonishwa Chiliza, Ndabuko Ntuli, Nic Hester, Nico Phooko, Noria Mabasa, Otto du Plessis, Oupavusi Mokwena, Paul du Toit, Pitika Ntuli, Phahlo Mtangai, Philani Mhlangu, Philiswa Lila, Richard Chauke, Robyn Field, Ronald Muchatuta, Ruhan Janse van Vuuren, Rudolf Blitzer, Russel Ngolele, Sandile Radebe, Sarah Richards, Sifiso Shange, Simon Zitha, Sophia van Wyk, Strijdom van der Merwe, Susan Woolf, Talia Goldsmith, Thabo Pitso, uMenzi Mbonambi, Uwe Pffaf, Vincent Da Silva, Vusi Beauchamp, Vusi Khumalo, Willie Bester, Wilma Cruise and William Olivier.