Late activist’s plight taken to art
RENOWNED South African artists such as Omar Badsha, William Kentridge and Mary Sibanda have joined forces to raise funds for the late popular art activist Lesley Perkes’s family and to pay off her debts.
The trio, along with hundreds of other artists countrywide, have donated some of their most prized possessions to the “Les is More” campaign to raise funds for Perkes’ family after her death in February this year.
The well-known art activist was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in January and died a few weeks later.
The 53-year-old, a public arts champion, was the chief executive of arts commissioning project management company, Artatwork.
The “Les is More” campaign was initially started to raise funds for Perkes’s medical bills while she was in hospital, but it is now raising funds for her family and to pay off the debt she had incurred over the years.
Over 120 artworks have so far been donated to the campaign by a number of artists in South Africa. The works will be on show on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Gallery Momo in Parktown North, and on Thursday an auction of the works will be held.
Among the other artists who have donated their artwork to the campaign are Tom Rowles, Diana Hyslop and Diane Victor.
Karen Brusch, manager of Momo Gallery, said the response to the campaign had been overwhelming. “We have received more than 120 paintings from well-known artists as well as unknown artists. This goes to show the impact Lesley had on the lives of artists and generally the people of South Africa.”
“The Les is More Art Auction is another extraordinary testament to the positive impact the late-too-early arts activist and maverick, Lesley Perkes, has had on artists.”
Aside from the money raised for Perkes family, funds will also go towards art projects that Perkes had been working on.
“Lesley’s death left a gaping hole in the hearts of Joburg – even (for) those who didn’t know her name,” said Brusch.
“Although she worked so tirelessly for artists to be paid their due, she never received hers.
“As the sole breadwinner in her family, her pensioner mother and her 18-year-old son need to settle the debts incurred by her untimely demise.”