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Sculpted Narratives: Contemporary South African Ceramics is Strauss & Co's second sale dedicated to ceramic art in South Africa, following in the wake of a highly successful auction held in 2022. This iteration includes high-value pieces by acclaimed clay artists Astrid Dahl, Andile Dyalvane, Ian Garrett, Frances Goodman, Nesta Nala, Bonnie Ntshalintshali, and Hylton Nel. With estimates from R2,000 up to R170,000 there is something for anyone who loves collecting ceramics on this auction. Bidding is open. Register online, browse, and add your bid. The live auction takes place on Sun, Jul 21 at 10:00.
"Sculpted Narratives focuses on the sculptural nature of ceramic art and marks a shift in emphasis from the well-known and loved Anglo-Oriental ceramic styles practised in South Africa in especially the 1960s and '70s," says Strauss & Co senior art specialist and head curator Wilhelm van Rensburg.
"The impetus for the shift to sculpted ceramics can be traced back to American ceramic artist David Middlebrook’s visit to South Africa in 1982 to 1983, as well as the avant-garde teaching of Suzette Munnik at Technikon Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in the late 1980s. This period also saw the advent of the world-famous Ardmore Ceramic Art Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, whose studio output is characterised by its strong sculptural iconography," van Rensburg explains.
Notably, Sculpted Narratives includes work by first-generation Ardmore artists, including a 1992 teapot with a jackal and flower motif by Bonnie Ntshalintshali and two zoomorphic figures by Josephine Ghesa. Legacy vessels by the illustrious Nala family are a special feature of the sale, from three pit-fired and burnished earthenware pieces by matriarch Nesta Nala, to ceremonial pots by Jabulile Nala and Zanele Nala. An artist leading the new wave of sculptural ceramics, Andile Dyalvane is represented in the sale by a scarified conical vessel. And, as part of this wide-ranging and diverse catalogue, we also see work by young ceramic artists like Mellaney Roberts and Amo Maepa up for sale.
With 93 works on the auction, a preview selection is on display at Strauss & Co's Houghton showroom until Sat, Jul 20. Visit the gallery during office hours until Fri, Jul 12. The gallery reopens on Mon, Jul 15 until Sat, Jul 20.
For fascinating insights into the history and evolution of ceramics in South Africa, contemporary ceramics and sculpture, Van Rensburg delivers a public talk at Strauss & Co in Houghton on Tue, Jul 16 from 18:00 – 20:00. RSVP with danel@straussart.co.za to secure your spot.
Alongside, Strauss & Co hosts a sale of Modern and Contemporary Art, open for public viewing at the Houghton showroom from Mon, Jul 15 – Sat, Jul 20. We've said it before, but these pre-auction exhibitions are a wonderful chance to see museum-grade artworks in person, regardless of whether you plan on bidding or not.
Moving to Pierneef's Kraal Guest House in Lynnwood Manor, Pretoria, Strauss & Co presents selected highlights from the Pretoria Sale: Modern and Contemporary Art collection on Fri, Jul 19, while two walkabouts of the preview exhibition on Sat, Jul 20 at 11:00 and 15:00 will also include a walkabout of the historic property.
As its name suggests, the venue for Strauss & Co's July auction is indeed situated on the original homestead of J.H. Pierneef – South African landscape painter extraordinaire. If you haven't heard of Pierneef's Kraal, or perhaps haven't found reason enough to visit it in person yet, this is an excellent opportunity. The De Kraal restaurant is on-site so you can make a day of it.
According to Strauss & Co, the July sale acknowledges the centrality of Pretoria in the story of South African art. "The catalogue for Sculpted Narratives includes three gorgeous painted tiles – one depicting purple crested loeries – by the doyen of ceramics, Esias Bosch, who lived and worked in Pretoria from 1955 to 1960. It also includes a rare vase by Walter Battiss, as well as a fired-clay sculpture by Robert Hodgins titled The Senator from North Carolina. A resident of Pretoria in the 1950s and 60s, Hodgins regularly commuted to a studio in Pretoria in the 1990s and 2000s to work on ceramic pieces," the exhibition text outlines.
Dates and times
Wed, Jul 10 – Sat, Jul 20 – Preview Sculpted Narratives: Contemporary South African Ceramics at Strauss & Co's Houghton showroom.Tue, Jul 16 from 18:00 – 20:00 – Attend a talk around the ceramics on show at Strauss & Co's Houghton showroom presented by senior art specialist and head curator Wilhelm van Rensburg. RSVP with danel@straussart.co.za to attend.
Mon, Jul 15 – Sat, Jul 20 – Preview the Pretoria Sale: Modern and Contemporary Art at Strauss at Co's Houghton showroom.
From Fri, Jul 19 – Sun, Jul 21 – Selected highlights from the Modern and Contemporary Art sale move to Pierneef's Kraal Guest House in Lynnwood Manor, Pretoria.
Sat, Jul 20 at 11:00 and 15:00 – Attend one of two walkabouts of the exhibition, including a tour of the historic venue at Pierneef's Kraal. RSVP for the 11:00 slot here, or for the 15:00 slot here.
Sun, Jul 21 – Live auctions take place at Pierneef's Kraal, with the ceramics sale kicking off from 10:00 followed by the sale of modern and contemporary art from 12:00. Register to bid for Sculpted Narratives here, and keep an eye out for the Modern and Contemporary Art Sale here.
