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WSU Fine Art Graduate Sibaninzi Dlathu walked away with a merit prize of R10 000 after making the top seven in this year’s Sasol New Signatures Art competition held on 11 November at the Pretoria Art Museum.
Dlathu’s artwork titled ‘A Story of Resiliency’ was one of seven shortlisted from a pool of 123 pieces by artists from across South Africa, contending for the coveted first prize of R100 000 and a solo art exhibition.
The 25-year-old Lusikisiki-born artist’s submission is a clay installation, inspired by the resilient spirit of destitute South Africans during the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledges their fight for survival amidst a humanitarian crisis.
“We hardly notice nor acknowledge the amount of resilience it takes to survive for those at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, especially during such difficult times; the work to an extent evokes empathy and forces us to review issues which need to be redressed/ changed in our society,” said Dlathu.
The competition is the longest-running in the country and provides a career-building platform for emerging artists. It has been sponsored by Sasol for the past 31-years, and requires artists to apply innovation in their artwork and how they interpret the world.
Dlathu asserted that embracing his upbringing in rural Eastern Cape, where he used to make toys from clay, played a significant role in his growth as an artist, and subsequently getting recognised on a stage of this magnitude.
“I believe that my duty as an artist is to be a voice which reconnects us to our humanity and a catalyst of change in our society. This win is very significant in cementing my path as an emerging artist. I am more inspired and motivated by this experience to keep on creating to the fullest of my potential. This is also an indicator that wherever you come from you will always have space in this world to express who you are,” he said.
Chairperson of the competition, Pfunzo Sidogi, said that he was humbled by the significance that the competition holds in the imaginaries of visual artists throughout the country.
“I was impressed by the amazing response we received from artists at all the regional collection points, and equally gratified by the quality and narrative power of the artworks submitted,” said Sidogi.
Dlathu became a registered student at WSU between 2016 and 2020 where he obtained a National Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Fine Art. He said that the university played a huge role in his growth as an artist, citing Fine Art lecturer Sonwabiso Ngcai and the late Mandilakhe Rolinyathi as two of his biggest inspirations.
“The WSU visual art faculty teaches not only to improve artistic skills but discipline and professionalism as well. I learnt the importance of visual literature to enable my integration into the contemporary visual art world,” said Dlathu.
By Yanga Ziwele
