To mark this incredible milestone, Ardmore is honouring four decades of creativity and craftsmanship. Fée has curated a special series of four major works to be unveiled throughout the year, each reflecting a significant chapter in Ardmore’s journey.
The First Decade (1985–1995)
To honour Ardmore’s beginnings, Fée has invited Senzo Mazibuko, son of Ardmore’s first artist, Bonnie Ntshalintshali, to create two monumental Angels. Inspired by Bonnie’s iconic Adam and Eve sculptures, which won her and Fée the 1990 Standard Bank Award, these works pay tribute to Bonnie’s legacy and to the women whose loyalty, creativity, and strength have shaped Ardmore from the start.
Standing at 1.4 metres, the Angels are painted by Bonnie’s cousin, Punch Shabalala, whose intricate patterns echo Zulu beadwork and basketry. Her designs, in deep green hues, draw on her own remarkable story of resilience, symbolising the studio’s survival through hardship, from the HIV/AIDS epidemic that claimed many artists, to economic challenges, riots, and floods.
The wings of Eve are completed by Nondumiso Mpufi, an Ardmore artist of 20 years, who chose the Turaco bird as her inspiration. Representing abundance, freedom, and hope, the Turaco captures Ardmore’s enduring spirit as we celebrate 40 years of creativity and community.
These Angels stand not only as works of art but as symbols of Ardmore’s resilience, legacy, and belief in hope for the future.
The Second Decade (1995–2005)
The second decade of Ardmore is represented by an oversized sculpture of a leopard and a crocodile, locked in a dramatic standoff, sculpted by Qiniso Mungwe. This powerful piece captures the tension and energy that marked Ardmore during this time, as men joined the studio, bringing with them not only incredible sculpting skills but also a sense of discord and challenge.
The crocodile, a symbol of ancient wisdom, strength, power, and survival, represents the resilience of the studio. Crocodiles are some of the oldest and most enduring creatures on Earth, and their presence in this sculpture reflects the endurance of Ardmore through the difficult years. The leopard, revered by Zulu kings, embodies grace, strength, and adaptability, qualities that Ardmore itself had to embrace in this new chapter of its evolution.
This striking piece stands tall at 1,8 meters and is set upon a ceramic base textured to mimic the scales of a crocodile, further enhancing its symbolism. The tension between these two iconic animals speaks to the challenges Ardmore faced as it navigated this pivotal decade.
The Third Decade (2005–2015)
The third decade of Ardmore was a time of great turmoil, as the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic took a heavy toll on the studio. Between the early 2000s and 2010, over 40 artists lost their lives, including the beloved Bonnie Ntshalintshali. This was a period marked by profound grief and change, both within the Ardmore community and in the studio itself, which relocated from Champagne Valley and Rosetta to Caversham.
To represent this challenging decade, Moshe Sello, known for his striking depictions of monkeys, was chosen to create a powerful piece: two large, back-to-back monkeys. The design draws inspiration from the work of Wonderboy Nxumalo, an artist who passed away from HIV-related illnesses. Wonderboy was renowned for his body of work that addressed the realities of living with HIV/AIDS, using the monkey as a metaphor for resilience and survival.
These monkeys, in their vibrant and symbolic forms, stand as a tribute to the strength of those who faced these hardships, and to the spirit of Ardmore that endured despite the devastating loss of so many talented artists.
