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Though she trained as a printmaker, it's her bricolage sculptures (a type of mixed media assemblage) that Stephané Edith Conradie is known for. These take centre stage in her winning solo exhibition, Wegwysers Deur Die Blinkuur. Translated loosely, the title refers to a set of guides offering clarity during a period of transition.
Following in the footsteps of Laura Windvogel (aka Lady Skollie) and many more before her, it's customary for the Standard Bank Young Artist Award winners in the category of Visual Art to get a solo showing at the Standard Bank Gallery the year following. Conradie's time has now come, saying "The Standard Bank Young Artist Award has allowed me to expand my practice in many productive ways. I have been fortunate enough to experiment with sonic components. It has also allowed me to return to themes I have been itching to consolidate or elaborate."
Interested in the home space as a demonstration of identity, Conradie creates ornate sculptures out of found objects. She references the decor common to the armoires of South Africa's middle to working-class homes, including photographs, Home-Affairs issued certificates, keys, precious silverware, heirlooms, consecrated statuettes, birthday cards, and brassware. These cabinets are a microcosm of the homes they occupy and represent what its safekeepers hold dear.
In their material capacity, the act of joining these familiar yet strikingly disparate objects speaks to the fractured nature of the artist's heritage. "I've realised that my work can often be misinterpreted as purely decorative," says Conradie. While subtle, each work brings commonly-held associates to the surface, with ceramics calling for caution to brass symbolising austerity. These undertones, which inform how we apply value, are used by the artist to resolve questions related to southern Africa's histories of colonialism, slavery, segregation, and apartheid.
Within the broader context of her artistic practice, "Wegwysers Deur Die Blinkuur speaks to the crucial space between generations of remembering and forgetting," reads the exhibition text. "Diminishing the threat of imminent erasure, here Conradie acknowledges the neglected ways that histories and legacies continue to be transferred. A call to safeguard indigenous knowledge systems, the exhibition serves as a bridge for intergenerational conversations."
Conradie explains further, saying, "I particularly focused on intergenerational transfers, both tangible and intangible. I was interested in capturing the pain, joy, and uncertainty that is linked to the inevitability of death. How do different groups prepare for this imminent event? Can it be captured in a tangible sense or is the bundling more invisible, spiritual or fragmented?"
Wegwysers Deur Die Blinkuur shows at the Standard Bank Gallery until Sat, Nov 2.
