SCULPTURE ON THE CLIFFS

Curated by Strijdom van der Merwe

Official Opening: 6 June @ 11.00

Speaker: Strijdom van der Merwe

Venue: Gearing's Point

The careful selection of the eleven artists for this year’s Sculpture on the Cliffs was intentionally designed to transcend the conventional parameters of sculpture-making. Frequently those artists who operate outside of traditional methodologies generate groundbreaking ideas that reshape our understanding of the sculpture genre, broadening the horizons of artistic expression and inviting new perspectives for the future.

This diverse cohort comprises not only established artists but also academics, calligraphers, architects, and skilled craftspeople, all striving to invigorate their respective practices. Their collective contributions reflect a commitment to innovation and experimentation, challenging audiences to rethink the possibilities inherent in the medium of sculpture. Strijdom van der Merwe

Erhardt Thiel

Through the iMadiba Project, public space becomes a place for reflection and dialogue. Erhardt Thiel creates micro-museums inspired by Nelson Mandela’s prison cell, exploring freedom, leadership, and shared human values through art and photography.

Francois van Reenen

His work explores the tension between childhood innocence and unease, shaped by nostalgia and dark humor. Francois van Reenen reflects on apartheid-era “bubble realities,” using toys and memory to create unsettling yet playful sculptural narratives.

Guy Du Toit

Bronze hares capture human behaviour through playful, gender- and race-neutral forms. In Guy du Toit’s work, confidence, vulnerability, humour, and resilience are gently reflected, inviting viewers to recognise shared human traits with warmth and empathy.

Heleen De Haas

Hand-carved stone lettering transforms words into tactile, contemplative forms. Inspired by faith, identity, and transformation, Heleen de Haas’s work celebrates imperfection and the human hand, inviting reflection through language made physical.

Herman Van Nazareth

Monumental sculptures explore the human condition through timeless, archetypal forms. Shaped by his experience of apartheid-era South Africa, Herman Van Nazareth’s work reflects dignity, injustice, solitude, and resilience, forming a powerful and enduring artistic legacy.

Jaco Sieberhagen

Using laser-cut shadow sculptures, his work transforms research and storytelling into poetic visual narratives. Drawing on South African social realities, Jaco Sieberhagen explores the human experience through light, form, and absence, inviting reflection and quiet contemplation.

Jacques and Lee Buys

This father-and-son Master Craftsman team works collaboratively across foundry practice, restoration, and
installation. Jacques and Lee Buys explore existential themes through making and deconstruction, while actively mentoring emerging artists.

Johann Slee

Fascinated by light and its effects on season, time, and texture, Johann Slee paints interiors, landscapes,
and objects. His work captures shifting shadows, layered colours, and fleeting moments, reflecting both immediate surroundings and memories that demand attention and care.

Kirumira Namubiru

Objects from different eras are reimagined and combined to explore identity, memory, and displacement. Ugandan artist Kirumira Namubiru uses wood, metal, repetition, and surface to question context and meaning, creating new spaces for dialogue and interpretation.

Strijdom van der Merwe

Working site-specifically with natural materials found on location, his work explores impermanence, playfulness, and a deep respect for nature. Strijdom van der Merwe creates environmentally sensitive artworks that range from ephemeral interventions to commissioned permanent installations.

Willie Bester

Working primarily in assemblage and mixed media, his practice confronts social and political injustice. Willie Bester’s work, rooted in resistance to apartheid, continues to address post-apartheid realities including crime, poverty, and corruption with directness and integrity.