Interview: Beautiful Things Exhibition 2022 – enchantment of our country through designs, textures and forms
What: Beautiful Things Exhibition #beautifulthings2022 When: March 10-16, 2022 Where: Graskop Gorge, Mpumalanga Graskop. The exhibition is in the Graskop Gorge Lift precinct On exhibition: 90 crafters – from nine provinces in South Africa On sale: The pieces are for sale – priced from less than R 1000 to R 28 000- at the exhibition and via the online catalogue Curators: John–Anthony Boerma and Mandla Hlope Social media: Follow @beautifulthingscraft on Instagram and Facebook for updates on how to access the exhibition and the catalogue virtually |
The much anticipated exhibition, Beautiful Things, opens today, March 10, 2022, at theGraskop Gorge, Mpumalanga. The exhibition, which runs until March16, is in the Graskop Gorge Lift precinct in Mpumalanga and is being presented by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and the Graskop Gorge Lift Company. The exhibition will be opened today (March 10), by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa. The Graskop Gorge is a breathtakingly beautiful setting for an exhibition of Beautiful Things. In the current world of global rupture, the exhibition is a celebration of design, texture and form – and creating “beautiful things.” The exhibition has been curated by John-Anthony Boerma from Art Aid (based in Mbombela, Mpumalanga) and co-curated by Mandla Hlophe of Malengs Holdings. John-Anthony Boerma provides insights into the curation of this exhibition in a space which is crowded with visitors, riding the Graskop Gorge Lift and relishing the magnificent views.
Over two thousand submissions for Beautiful Things 2022
There were around two thousand submissions for Beautiful Things 2022. Ninety pieces were selected. You had to consider the space and audience and venue (busy), which is on the Panorama Route and attracts over 200 thousand tourists a year. They couldn’t for example select jewellery as the logistics would be difficult to arrange. John-Anthony Boerma: “The 90 products were specifically chosen for their excellence in skill as well as their originality, reflecting the cultures of South Africa and its people. Coupled with these criteria, we also had to bear in mind that the venue is not a traditional gallery space but rather a space with high traffic flow, allowing market access and exposure. We can’t always expect buyers to come to our crafters. We have to take the goods to where they can be seen, appreciated and sold. Careful consideration was taken in the selection of products to relate specifically to the not so traditional venue.”
Indoor and outdoor exhibiting of Beautiful Things
Around 75-80 pieces are being exhibited indoors and the rest outdoors. Are the outdoor pieces large and weather proof? John-Anthony Boerma: “The larger pieces, which are weather resistant, were chosen specifically to be placed outdoors against the magnificent backdrop that the gorge allows.”
Beautiful Things catalogue is online
There is an online live catalogue. Buyers can purchase works, even if they are not there? John-Anthony Boerma: “The catalogue contains all the social handles and contact details of the artists which would allow a potential buyer to be in touch directly. There are 90 works online and at the physical exhibition.”
Curating Beautiful Things from multiple spheres of practice
How have you gone about curating – selecting from multiple spheres of practice? John-Anthony Boerma: “Most of the works curated include almost every genre of creative practice ranging from ceramics, beadwork, fabric, woodcarving, glasswork, mixed media and many more. These works may appear to be the product of new ideas, but they are actually fresh variations on pre-existing themes, reinvented for contemporary markets and tastes. They are a creative dialogue with the past that has given rise to new forms of expression.”
Enchantment of South Africa through design
At the moment, we live in a world, where there is a lot of rupture and here you have an exhibition of Beautiful Things for us to contemplate. I am sure that there must have been submissions of beautifully made objects which were not imaged around beautiful things and then you had to take a pass on those objects? It is the tussle between form and image. That must have been challenging for you and John Hlophe as co-curators? John-Anthony Boerma: “Through this exhibition, it is hoped by my co-curator and myself that you will gain an insight into our country’s essence through the hands, the creativity and the minds of these gifted rural and urban crafters. You will see how important a role they play in bringing to life the enchantment of our country through their designs, their textures and their forms. We also hope that it will become apparent how we are all intricately connected through the fabric of our multidimensional country, and how we – ourselves, our artists, our economy – are designed for interdependence. We all have different gifts that complement each other to make up a vibrant whole.”
Beautiful Things- generating income for crafters/artists
Beyond being an important showcase of work this exhibition plays an important role in generating income for the artists. John-Anthony Boerma: “Craft can, and does, put food on the table of hundreds of thousands of South Africans. You can make a career out of being a crafter. The good news is that we are seeing more young people becoming interested in craftwork and design – it’s no longer seen as something for the older generations. And they are adding a creative spin to their designs, blending their traditional skills with innovative elements. We invite you to travel with us on a journey to explore the dreams and aspirations of the people of Mzansi through their artworks depicting our environment, landscapes and imagery, and our kaleidoscope of people and cultures. We hope that through this showcase one will be inspired, moved and energised as we are by the works exhibited. We trust you will leave with your horizons expanded and your notions of craft revisited. Join us and these 90 creatives in this leap of faith into a future filled with new possibilities.”






Beautiful Things 2022- exhibitors Eastern Cape: Bernadette Swartz Bianca Whitehead Lookout Sibanda Noluyolo Vundisa Cindy Ntombosindiso Maphini (Umvuzo Wethu Co-Operative) Yolanda Ginya Zoleka Muma Free State: Dieketseng Mokone Gauteng: Ashleigh Christelis Beauty Mpofu Charmaine Haines Chris Lebese (Pitseng) Clement Maenetja Gari Louridas Imbali Lindiwe Hlatshwayo Lucas Ndala Mmutla Mashishi Njabu (LaShongwe Design) Nkosinathi Hadebe (Nazo Accessories) Phindile Msiza (PR Designs & Accessories) Pholile Hlongwane Selina Makwana (Mapula Embroidery Trust) Sinalo Ntuli Sizani Baloyi Vusi Emmanuel Silinda Yanga Tukela KwaZulu-Natal: Angeline Masuku Badumile Dlamini Bongiwe Mkhwanazi Bonisiwe Dolly Ndlovu Kathy Mthembu Udwendwe Arts and Craft Mano Dladla Mlamuli Zulu Ntando Lincoln Mgwengwe Ntombizodwa Roslina Khanyile Phumlani Nyawo Sibusiso Dlamini Woza Moya Zamandosi Cele (Iqhikiza Beadwork & Trading) Winnie Nene (Woza Moya) Buselaphi Xaba (Woza Moya) Thobile Zuma (Woza Moya) Benziwe Blose (Woza Moya) Limpopo: Amorous Maswanganyi Karosswerkers Khazanhe Beading Group Kheila Ngobeni Mapuve Pots Mukondeni Potters Petrus Sekele Pilato Bulala Sophia Baloyi Tebocho Mathase Thando Mahlangu (Ingwani Creations) Thomas Kubayi Kenny Nonyane Mpumalanga: Alucia Kumalo Elizabeth Malee Ella V Mahlangu Griet van der Meulen Thulisile Prudance Makakola John Nkosi Letty Jiyane Louis Hartley Margaret Mahlangu Sunnyboy Nkuna Eunice Nkosi Robert & Son Art Gallery Simon Yeseni Sophie Mahlangu Zanele Skosana North West: Amogelang Pila Peter Makheta (Makhetha Hand Craft) Samuel Sibeko (Take No Time) Northern Cape: Ruth Naomi Issel Sibongile Shane Mayongo Western Cape: Aretha Doyle Goodness Ndimande (Design Afrika) Mphakathi Weavers Bomikazi Nomlala (Clareb Accessories) Bongani Khumalo Janette Anderson Godfrey Dambuleni Boniface Chikwenhere Jeff Mwazha Corinne Erasmus Monkey Biz Thiyane Duda |
❇ Featured image: Beautiful Things- the exhibition is curated by John-Anthony Boerma from Art Aid (left) and co-curated by Mandla Hlophe of Malengs Holdings. Image supplied.