Johannesburg – Photographer Corné du Plessis – participating as a sculptor for the second year – has revealed that he attained his first sale of the ongoing 2024 SculptX Fair at the MelroseGallery on the opening day.
Du Plessis said he attained the first sale of this year’s fair at its VIP Opening on Thursday, 5 September 2024.
He said the sculpture he sold was a limited edition series of five pieces titled Life’s Journey.
Du Plessis said the sculpture depicts “the emotional and physical scarring and healing most of us experience on our journey through life”.
He said sculpting came as a progression from his photography, which – like his sculpting – has a strong focus on the male physique.
Du Plessis’ medium of choice is ceramics, using the age-old Japanese technique of Raku to decorate each piece with a different Raku process.
The pieces were fired to a temperature of between 950°C and 1,100°C.
At peak temperature, they are pulled from the kiln and placed in a reduction chamber with sawdust and newspaper.
The flames and smoke from this process develop the colours.
By nature, this is an unpredictable process and makes each piece truly unique.
Du Plessis said the five pieces that make up the series were purchased within 30 minutes of the fair’s opening by Joburg-based entrepreneur Tony de Gouveia.
“Being new to sculpting, I was delighted that the curator accepted my work to be included in the exhibition again this year,” admitted Du Plessis.
“During the 2023 fair, two of my works were sold, which encouraged me to submit larger works for this year’s fair.
“I was overwhelmed when my series sold so quickly.”
The annual SculptX Fair is the largest sculpture fair in South Africa, hosted by The Melrose Gallery in Johannesburg.
SculptX provides a valuable platform for emerging, mid-career and established artists.
It aims to celebrate sculpture as an important genre in itself.
This year celebrates the seventh edition of the fair, with over 50 artists presenting more than 150 artworks fashioned from materials ranging from bronze, wood, glass, crystal, and steel to bone, resin, and other media.
The vast number of sculptures encompass figurative works, depicting the human body, the natural world, or the built environment, as well as an array of abstract works.
The SculptX exhibition is at The Melrose Galley, 10 High Street, Melrose Arch until 7 November 2024.
