PPC YOUNG CONCRETE SCULPTOR AWARDS

Countdown begins for 2008 official prize-giving.

PPC Cement is about to radically transform the lives of a select group of young artists as the official prize-giving for the 2008 PPC Young Concrete Sculptor Competition draws closer.

With the total prize money of R75,000, the competition this year has been of an exceptional standard. “This year’s competition has provided us with an incredibly diverse range of entries, from traditional portraiture to minimalist sculptures. All the material we have received has been thought-provoking and challenging”, says awards committee chairperson, Kay Potts.

In total, 66 entries were received for this year’s PPC Young Concrete Sculptor Awards Competition. This is more than double the entries received last year, an indication of how the interest in the competition continues to grow.

“We are delighted at the number of entries we have received this year,” says Nomzamo Basson, PPC’s Public Relations Manager. “Concrete is such a versatile medium which allows for both freedom of expression and creativity.” Basson added that the doubling of entries was a result of the success of the concrete workshops PPC held across South Africa which provided young artists with basic skills and techniques of working with concrete. For the first time, these workshops were also held in Soweto and Kimberley. “We were able to provide the many people who attended the workshops with practical advice on how to shape concrete into something so much more than a building material. “

Final judging will take place on October 24. The official prize-giving ceremony will take place on the October 29, followed by an exhibition of the finalists’ work at the Association of Arts Pretoria in Pretoria.