A true artist is a barometer of their time. This can be seen in this year’s Sasol New Signatures winning works which in many ways are an artistic reflection of the state of affairs in South Africa.    

A total of 590 entries were received for this year’s competition, which is recognised as the longest running art competition of its kind in South Africa. 

An initiative of the Association of Arts Pretoria, Sasol New Signatures has played a pivotal role in unearthing new talent and providing a platform from which emerging artists can launch their careers. Sasol has been the event’s main sponsor for the last 26 years.

Thirty-year old performing artist, Nelmarie du Preez from Pretoria took top honours at the awards ceremony, winning the 2015 Sasol New Signatures art competition for her work titled ‘to shout’. Du Preez received a cash prize of R100 000 and the right to hold a solo exhibition in 2016.

‘to shout’ is a ‘collaborative’ artwork depicting an interaction between du Preez and ‘GUI’ (graphic user interface) who in part, takes the form of the artist’s digital alter-ego or male-other. The piece caught the attention of the judges due to its conceptual, technical and formal excellence.

Commenting on the calibre of entries received this year, acclaimed artist, judge and National Competition Chairman Pieter Binsbergen said the 2015 finalists demonstrated the vital role that visual communication has come to play in grounding a unique South African identity.

“What has become most evident in the works of the 2015 finalists is the innovative combination of materials, which are both traditional and unconventional by nature. I am of the opinion that this is done in order to empower the artworks conceptually with modes that ground the notion of personal and individual identity,” Binsbergen highlighted. 

This year’s submissions reflected on an array of social and political issues ranging from tragedy, triumph, nostalgia to identity, transformation and integration.

Du Preez’s art piece looks at the impact the rise and influence of social media has had on people’s persona, and how it has become easy for people to hide behind their avatars to create identities which are sometimes removed from reality.  

Mareli Janse van Rensburg is this year’s runner up for her work, ‘The final moments of Immanuel Sithole’, winning a R25 000 cash prize. Her art piece makes a statement about the media’s portrayal of the recent xenophobia attacks in South Africa, which claimed the life of Immanuel Sithole, a Mozambican national. 

Judges also awarded five merit awards to Colleen Winter, Sethembile Msezane, Bronwyn Katz, Nazeerah Jacub, and Rory Emmett – each artist received a R10 000 cash prize.

Sasol has a long history of supporting South African art. The company has been collecting artworks by home-grown talent since the early 1980s, and features a collection of about 2 000 pieces. Over the past 26 years of Sasol’s patronage, Sasol New Signatures has continued to grow in stature, entries and quality. Of the 590 entries received this year, 110 have been shortlisted for the Sasol New Signatures art exhibition, taking place from 3 September to 4 October 2015 at the Pretoria Art Museum.

“We are delighted with our long-standing partnership with the Association of Arts Pretoria, through which Sasol has made an important contribution to unearthing local talent and providing emerging artists with a platform from which to flourish,” shared Fleetwood Grobler, Sasol Executive Vice President: Chemicals Business.    

Grobler took the opportunity to reveal that Sasol will move to its new global headquarters in Sandton next year. The new head office will include a sculpture garden and Sasol will soon be announcing an initiative to invite sculptors to design and conceptualise bespoke pieces for the area. 

“That is where the art community of South Africa comes in,” said Grobler. 

“The initial phase will call for concepts. After this, selected artists will be requested to take their ideas to scale models from which Sasol will commission certain bespoke works for our global headquarters that both our employees and visitors will enjoy. More information on this exciting initiative will be announced in the next few weeks and we hope to see some fantastic concepts coming forward.”

Exhibiting alongside the winning works at the Pretoria Art Museum is exceptional sculptor and 2014 Sasol New Signatures winner Elizabeth Balcomb. Her exhibition, entitled ‘Auguries of Innocence’ is inspired by William Blake’s poem with the same title and explores the human body participating in the world under regimes of life and death.

For more information on the exhibition and works for sale, visit www.sasolsignatures.co.za or contact Nandi Hilliard from the Association of Arts Pretoria on 012 346 3100, 083 288 5117 or artspta@mweb.co.za.