Entries are now officially open for the annual Sasol New Signatures Art Competition 2021.
Being the longest-running competition of its kind in South Africa, Sasol New Signatures has become a platform for unknown artists to break into the mainstream art stage. Sasol has sponsored this important art competition for over 30 years and has launched the careers of many household names in art currently working in South Africa and globally.
With the advent of Covid-19, there is a greater need for innovators and creators who will shape the world anew and inspire change. Taking on this challenge, the 2021 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition has created a space for eligible emerging artists to imagine, transgress, transcend, disrupt, and innovate through their creativity.
Chairperson Sasol New Signatures, Pfunzo Sidogi said: “The Sasol New Signatures Art Competition is not just another art competition – it is an enabler for emerging artists to not only expand the possibilities of art but also to inspire innovation and change.
“As we march into a new world, visual artists are best equipped to make sense of our dynamic, interconnected, and challenging environments. By promoting art that is ingrained with the spirit of possibility and potentiality, the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition is not just another art competition – it is an enabler for emerging artists to not only expand the possibilities of art, but to also inspire innovation and change.”
This annual competition is open to all South African artists who are 18+ years and have not yet held a solo exhibition.
Artists who have held a solo exhibition for academic purposes, i.e. a Master’s degree exhibition, are allowed to enter.
Artists are able to submit artworks in all artistic mediums including photography, performance art, video and installations.
Activate innovation and change through your creativity by entering the 2021 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition at one of several collection points across the country on September 7 and 8, 2021, from 10h00 to 16h00.
The ongoing sponsorship of this competition demonstrates Sasol’s commitment to discovering new artistic talent and promoting them to the art-loving public, said Nozipho Mbatha, Senior Manager: Group Brand and Sponsorships at Sasol.
“The art of innovation is one of Sasol’s hallmarks, and the foundation upon which the business was built. It is who we are and have committed to being. For this reason, Sasol is proud to be a key sponsor, together with Association of Arts Pretoria, of this important initiative that seeks to encourage South Africa’s creativity and contribute to our national heritage,” said Mbatha.
The winner of the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition will be announced on November 10, 2021. The winner will receive R100,000 and a solo exhibition at next year’s exhibition. The winning works will also be displayed at the Pretoria Art Museum from November 11, 2021, to January 9, 2022. The runner up will receive R25,000 and the five merit award winners will each walk away with R10,000.
The 2019 Sasol New Signatures winner, Patrick Rulore, will hold his first solo exhibition within the official Sasol New Signatures 2021 exhibition. The exhibition is titled “Life in Darkness”. Rulore said of his work: “I am fascinated by the human figure, and in my paintings, I attempt to capture some of the complexity of the body and the enigmatic power which human beings possess. This series explores human connection against the backdrop of an ephemeral world of light and shadow. Working on a large scale is crucial to my creative process”.
The KZN drop off point for artists work is the KZNSA Gallery, 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, Durban.
For more information visit https://www.sasolsignatures.co.za/
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