I am overwhelmed and deeply honoured to have been granted the Order of Ikhamanga – Silver (OIS) by President Ramaphosa. I proudly share this honour with many talented artists, in particularly Bonnie Ntshalintshali and Wonderboy Nxumalo in the same way that I humbly endeavoured to share my skills with them. I dedicate this award to my three children - Jonathan, Catherine and Megan - and all those who have loyally stood by me and helped Ardmore grow and thrive through good times and bad.
I have always done my best to encourage South African artists who are striving for excellence in terms of self-expression and technical skill. While it may be my name on the award, it rightly belongs to the many artists that I have had the pleasure of working with. My greatest privilege as an artist has been to see my fellow ceramicists, painters and designers grow in confidence and ability through my mentorship – they deserve this award for excellence in the arts every bit as much as I do.