About the artist PDF Print E-mail
Written by Derek   
Sunday, 13 September 2009 18:01

I was born in South Africa in 1971 in a very dark time for our country , i was blessed to see change happen in my lifetime and our country was reborn a free country , this experience of positive change and new freedom has guided the content of much of my work . I was born seperated from my fellow countrymen by unjust laws and archaic preconceptions , I went to a whites only school and discovered my spirit in the eighties when i could think for myself and see the system for what it was . I went to Rhodes University for a year but suffered in my grades because of a wild spirit and an awakening to greater things happening , this was 1990 and the beginning of the break down of apartheid . I got involved in politics and was the head of politcal education for Sasco at Technikon Natal ( South African Students Congress ) a left wing aligned student movement , this was an intense period of growth for me and i still have a socialist heart beating in my breast .
After Technikon went and worked for Etienne de Kok (perhaps one of the icons of South African foundrymen ) in Durban casting bronze sculptures, worked on various artists work such as Andries Botha and Kim Goodwin.

Worked on a large-scale steel project for the Randburg waterfront with Etienne de Kok and David Rousseau , I then moved up to Johannesburg and worked with David as his assistant. Went overseas and managed to get a public commission in Israel to make eight steel birds for Dizengorf Square in Tel Aviv,on reflection i guess i gravitate to places that are dealing with internal conflicts ,  also did small private commissions enabling me to leave Israel for Holland. In Holland i worked odd jobs and saw a country that was enjoying its freedoms . Then went to London where I worked at Bronze Age Art Foundry, I worked my way through the company starting in mould making ending in final chasing and patination, here I met Dylan Lewis who invited me to come and work in his foundry in Stellenbosch. Also in London cast several pieces of my own which I sold to private buyers.This enabled me to travel to India which was also life changing .Returned home went to Stellenbosch and built the furnace for Gerald Dietkliffs who was at the time casting for Dylan exclusively, Left Gerald’s foundry due to retrenchments and went to stay in Cape Town, there built props for the movie industry –particularly polyurethane sculptures, got involved in the commercial building industry working for Architects where I did a lot of work at Ratanga Junction (Large carved tree) and Century City (Skywalk Mall and Afribizare). Then I moved up to Sedgefield where I set up a workshop working mostly in forged metal doing a lot of blacksmithing work for private clients , I also made a furniture collection inspired by the area (see Wilderness collection ).I then set up and ran Mandala Fine Art Castings where I cast work for artists in the area . I then moved back to Cape Town where I have recently finished a large commission for Anglo American.

I have consulted on Art matters and am currently working on many different projects .My workshop is fully equipped to cater for all kinds of sculptural commissions, currently I am working on a furniture collections, gates and small sculptures for private clients and aim to have an exhibition ready some time in the future called  ‘At what price freedom” .I have had group exhibitions in South Africa, Holland, Israel and the United Kingdom. My furniture has been exhibited both here in South Africa and in London. I am available for one off furniture projects and am open to building work if the end product is interesting and unusual. I have built balustrades, staircases, built in shelving, hanging shelving and balcony’s in various mediums though mild steel predominates. I am familiar with welding of various metals (copper, mild steel, bronze, stainless steel) and can work creatively in these metals. I have worked hand in hand with interior designers creating furniture prototypes for production and I am very familiar with taking a prototype from the design stage to setting up systems for production (jigs and accurate templates).I am happily available for sculpture commissions . Thank you for taking the time to look through my work and I hope to hear from you soon.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 November 2009 05:50