ARTicle 

 Speelman Mahlangu's new life size sculpture
  21 January 2003  By Andries Loots
 

This week Gauteng based artist Speelman Mahlangu was commissioned by Bronze Age Sculpture House to produce a life size sculpture for their new Sculpture Garden opening soon.

After seeing some of Speelman's other sculpture, which they took in for their upcoming opening exhibition on the 9th of February, they decided that a life size Artist Proof in cement, deserves a prime position in the Sculpture Garden.

Speelman’s imagery is uniquely African. Trained as a sculptor between 1977 - 1980 at the Kathlehong Art Centre, he later progressed to painting as well and his work has been taken up in various important private and corporate collections with the largest public commission, a mural of 3m x 1.5m, at Johannesburg International Airport.

Although this was the first time that the artist worked on this scale, the results produced a magnificent sculpture, 1.85m high. A limited edition of 3 sculptures will be cast in bronze.
Speelman with sculpted core. Andries Loots assisting the artist to cover the core in clay. The maquette displayed to the left. The final clay sculpture, ready for the mould making process.
 
The Bronze Age Sculpture House and Sculpture Garden is situated in the old Albertyn's Stables,  King George Way,  Simons Town. The Foundry has been operating for some time but as the demand grew for an exclusive exhibiting space for sculpture, the owners decided to take it one step further by changing the venue into a Gallery, Foundry,  Sculpture Garden and a residence for artists while working on sculpture at the foundry. 

The first exhibition of sculpture only, by some of the most prominent sculptors in South Africa, will be on view from 23 January 2003. A private function with invited guests only, on the 9 February 2003, will be the official opening of the Gallery.

The Gallery can be contacted at :+27 ( 0 )21 786 1816 or +27 ( 0 )82 9205322
e-mail : mwbronze@mweb.co.za

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