Titled Stitches and Clay, the stitches part of the exhibition will pay
tribute to the 400 rural women of Letsitele in the Northern Province who
comprise the Kaross Workers embroidery project.
Inspired by artist Irma van Rooyen who started the project in 1989, the
Kaross Workers have employed their natural talent for embroidering their own
traditional dress called minceka onto designs influenced by the work of
local Venda and Tsonga sculptors, as well as the motifs painted on the walls
of the traditional Tsonga and Venda homes.
Their fine embroidery is done on 100% cotton fabric. Penguin and Fiestas
no 5 crochet cotton is used as the yarn to make a very fine product, said
Bayside Gallery curator Sue Greenberg.
She said the clay component of this multi-media exhibition will be a
showcase of contemporary work with a strong Afrocentric influence. Ann
Marais will be exhibiting her smoke-fired and lustered pedestal platters
from her African Continent series while Ian Garret, who won this years
Association of Potters of Southern Africa national premier award, will be
showing his vessels inspired by traditional Zulu rural potters.
Other exhibitors include Barbara Jackson, Karen Sinovich, Theo Ntuntwana,
Bea Jaffray and KwaZulu-Natals Rodney Blumenfeld, Barry Dibb, Martha
Zettler and David Walters who has recently returned from the UK and is now
settled in the Western Cape.
For the first time we are also featuring the work of Nesta Nala - a legend
in her own lifetime - and that of three of her daughters who are all highly
accomplished potters in their own right, said Sue.
The exhibition will be officially opened by Mr Tony Reilly of the British
Council and runs through to mid-December.
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