KZN Regional Exhibition

JETTEKE DE VRIES

ARTIST WALKABOUT WITH JETTEKE DE VRIES

SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2014 11AM

PARK GALLERY

Join us on Saturday at the KZNSA for an artists' walkabout of Jetteke de Vries' Discovering Home. This collection explores the concept of home and what it means to belong, as the artist expounds on the journey of identity and belonging which is captured in the lives and narratives of three generations of female protagonists. Don't miss what promises to be an enriching morning with this talented young artist.

 Please note - filming or recording of any part of this walkabout will not be permitted. Your co-operation is appreciated.

Discovering Home

This exhibition centres on the concept of home and what it means to belong. This journey of identity and belonging is captured in the lives and narratives of three generations of female protagonists. The catalyst for this exhibition was the discovery of my own dislocated identity after immigrating to the Netherlands at the age of thirteen. I discovered that my mother and my grandmother had suffered a similar trauma in that their identities were also fractured and dislocated due to moving between Southern Africa and the Netherlands throughout their lives.

The work is linked to memories of the protagonists; it is rooted in my mother’s memories of her mother and my memories and perceptions of my grandmother and my mother. Researching my family’s history of dislocation revealed a wealth of stories and imaginings that I was unaware of.   An exploration of the cultural dislocation of three generations of women in my family became the guiding force for this body of work. Spanning this body of work to include three generations gives me the opportunity to reflect on how time and space affects identity and the type of dislocation that is felt. Even though the three protagonists share a sense of cultural dislocation, the circumstances and extent of this dislocation was different for each protagonist. The type of dislocation that occurs is dependent on a particular time and the geographical space each protagonist inhabited.

The exhibition juxtaposes Southern Africa and the Netherlands in an inter-personal cultural context. Culture and identity are inextricably linked concepts and I investigate the difficulties experienced by the protagonists in their pursuit of negotiating what it means to have a dislocated cultural identity.

K Z N S A

Hortus Conclusis Brunsefelsia
Siobhan O'Reagain
28 October - 16 November 2014
Main & Mezzanine Galleries
This exhibition consists of an installation of porcelain works and drawings that reflect a personal interpretation of the garden, using both fine art and botanical approaches.

The porcelain works and drawings explore plant forms and garden implements.  While the garden is traditionally seen as a “piece of ground” (Allen,1990:485) adjoining a house, this exhibition explores the garden as representing   growth, adornment, and  refuge; a reflection of metamorphosis and life cycles, migration, and the changing of seasons. This transience and fragility is echoed in the use of porcelain, itself delicate and translucent.

The exhibition postulates the garden as a metaphor of our lives; representative of our present, yet intrinsically linked with our past in terms of self, culture, spirituality, circumstance, emotion, social standing, labour and the heritage of colonialism.   This heritage is explored using indigenous and exotic plants from my garden and the Botanic Gardens.

This interpretation of the garden encourages the viewer to personalise, re-think and re-conceptualise past gardens of memory, and those of the present in a way which both make the garden meaningful, tangible and uniquely relevant to their lives.
In addition, it demonstrates the importance of the garden, whether public or private, as a reflection of our lives.
- Siobhan O'Reagain

Click on images to enlarge

"In my work I use ceramic vessels (izinkamba) as a premise to challenge, question, comment on certain aspects of rules and laws that serve as guidelines when creating ceramic vessel. I use them to comment on social and personal aspects of my life. My vessels are designed with a variety of angular, straight and geometric patterns that make reference to “amasumpa”".

“I also introduce other material on the surface of the vessel such as goat hide and I consciously create the imbalance when the vessel is seated and slightly skewing the vessel giving it a tilted appearance. In addition to this I break its functionality by closing its top which again challenges the notion of how traditional pots are viewed in terms of use and their function,” he explains.

“My vessels are inspired by traditional domestic vessels that were previously produced for functional purposes. However, I bring in a distinct voice, a design identity, that reflects my ideologies and my thoughts. This then transforms the vessel giving it a totally unique look that is contemporary and reflective of today’s culture,” he continues.

“In essence my work subverts and challenges the traditional canons of vessel making. I achieve this by playing around with essential elements of traditional domestic vessels, such as the form of the vessel, shape, size and the inconsistence of a design on the surface of the vessel. I am mostly interested in the design the shape and the form of the vessel which gives a voice to my work.”
Luthuli graduated in Fine Art at DUT in 2011. He is a regular participant in group exhibitions and showcases across the country, and had work in Earth Revelations: A Conversation in Clay in 2012 in New York. In 2013 he was awarded Highly Commended Certificate at the Ceramics Southern Africa, Regional Exhibition held at KZNSA in Durban; in 2012 he was given a Merit Award at the Ceramics Southern Africa, Regional Exhibition held at Art Space Durban and in 2010 he was a Premier Award winner at the Ceramics Southern Africa, National Exhibition held at The Gallery at Grande Provence. (Western Cape Region).

A series of workshops, walkabouts and events will accompany the exhibition.

The Durban Art Gallery (DAG) is open seven days a week: Monday until Saturday from 8.30am until 4pm, and Sunday from 11am until 4pm. Entry is free and all are welcome! For more info, contact the Gallery on 031 311 2264 / 9 or

KZN Regional Exhibition

KZN REGION CERAMIC EXHIBITION 2014

SEE WHAT OUR  MEMBERS HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU

 OPENING TUESDAY 15^TH JULY 18.00 KZNSA Bulwer Road

                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                      Gallery times:

Monday closed, Tues-Fri 9-5

Sat 8-4, Sun 10-3

Exhibition closes Sunday 3^rd August

Tanya Babb Workshop

The KZN branch are hosting a Tanya Babb workshop on 6th Nov at Kearsney college

9.00 for 9.30 until +- 3.00pm

Bring and share lunch, tea and coffee provided

Cost R250 members non members R350
Pensioners R200 students R100

Sculptural Workshop by Sarah Richards

Venue: Kearnsey College
Date: 28th August
Time: 9.00 for 9.30
Cost : R200 members: non members R300: pensioners: R150

How to make a ceramic sculpture

This workshop will give a brief and insightful demonstration on how to create a ceramic sculpture. Basic skills will be demonstrated as well as a chance to experiment on your own sculpture during the workshop. The aim of the workshop is to give the participant some insightful ideas and techniques on how to make a ceramic sculpture, from the making of the armature, preparation of the clay, modelling skills will be practiced using photographic reference, and preparation of sculpture for firing will be demonstrated.

Basic program:

* Demonstration: How to construct a simple armature designed for a ceramic sculpture
* Experience:
Starting the modelling process – proportions- marks and expression- working from photographs
* Demonstration: Preparation of sculpture for firing




Materials to bring:
Pliers
Hammer
Newspaper
Plastic bag ( to keep damp)
Wooden Board between 30cm to 50 cm (at least 10mm thick – if too thin will warp)
Modeling tools
Clay(preferably grogged or sculptural or paperclay)

Jane Jermyn Workshop KZN

Irish Ceramist Jane Jerman will be giving a workshop at Kearnsey College in Durban on Saturday 6 March 2010 at 09Hoo. For bookings and more information, please contact Lynette on 083 540 4349