(These Giraffe Riders
are some of the beautiful work created by Ardmore Ceramics)
The Ardmore artists, inspired by Fee Halsted, have created
an amazing body of work dedicated to and hopefully raising awareness of the
diminishing herds of this beautiful but plundered continent. Fee, Petros Gumbi
and Alex Sibanda have paid tribute to the 300 elephant that were poisoned this
past year in Hwange National Park by creating beautiful elephant families left
unglazed in their cream state, invoking memories of ancient ivory carvings that
now shame us into action against this needless material desire to own a carved
tusk.
Closer to home, in the stunning world heritage site of the
Drakensburg, wardens from the parks board informed this Christmas that the
eland herds are rapidly diminishing because of gambling parties that arrive
with expensive hunting dogs in the night. These beautiful antelope, always
closely related to the spiritual history of the San people, mean that another
part of South Africa’s heritage will soon no longer be seen grazing on the
grasslands of KZN. There has also been an Ardmore focus on the majestic eland
with creations by Sondelani Ntshalintshali and Sabelo Khosa.
With Bennet Zondo and Senzo Duma, Fee remembers the vast
herds of sable and roan antelope on the family’s Matetsi ranch in Zimbabwe, now
only a nostalgic memory.
Betty Ntshingila has chosen to sculpt wildebeest and the
Cape buffalo whilst Somandla Ntshalintshali and Siyabonga Mabaso have taken us
back to shimmering lakes of pink flamingo.
The exhibition will be launched at Cellars-Hohenort Hotel,
Constantia in Cape Town from February 20 to 23.
Fee Halsted will conduct two slide show talks: Ardmore and the Artists on February 22
and 23 at 11h00 and guests may enjoy a lunch in the Cellars vineyard.
More information from Catherine Berning at Ardmore Ceramics
on email: catherine@ardmoreceramics.co.za
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