Julia Meintjies Fine Art has launched its Threads of Africa project with an exhibition titled “The earth is watching us”, at the Gold of Africa Museum in Cape Town until March 31 2011.
It comprises a collection of 95 bowls made of 18 carat gold, sterling silver and copper wire, created by artists living in Tugela Valley in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The objects on sale range in price from R3 000 to R350 000.
Each artist makes his or her own clay pots to use as moulds, which are hand coiled to create a unique design intended to give grip to the wire. The intricate patterns and designs of the bowls are reflective of the rich landscape of rural KwaZulu-Natal.
“When I design my bowls, I feel at peace and I like to match my designs with what I see around me at home,” says Mgongo Ngubane, who has been weaving since the age of 15.
The project has given him an opportunity to improve his skills as an artist and make money to support his family. One of the biggest challenges is the time consumed in creating one bowl. Working with delicate materials means that it takes him a day to achieve 1cm of the intricate design and two months to complete a bowl.
Tugela Valley has a tradition of weaving that has been a part of its culture since the 1970s and today its people create works of art Meintjies describes as modern-day heirlooms.
“Because each bowl takes a long time to make, they are not mass produced and are considered highly valuable. “The response we’ve received, particularly from outside collectors, means that this project could become sustainable, so that the young people of Tugela Valley can make it a means of employment,” says Meintjies.
Currently, the bowls have been added to a collection belonging to the Iziko National Gallery in Cape Town and the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg.
They will be exhibited at the Amaridien Gallery in New York in May and the Museum der Kulturen in Switzerland at the end of the year.
For more information, go to www.threadsofafrica.com