Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Artistic statements set in cement
EMERGING Eastern Cape artist Sonwabiso Ngcai was announced as overall winner of the 2019 PPC Imaginarium Awards, taking home R150 000 in cash for his sculpture Isigu (The Snare).
The competition is South Africa’s most supportive art and design drive which sees about R500 000 in prizes awarded across six categories – sculpture, industrial design, film, fashion, jewellery and architecture – to standout entries expressing innovation and using PPC cement.
Ngcai secured both the sculpture category prize and the overall winner ranking for a thought-provoking entry which provides an analogy for how certain religious cults are ensnaring their congregants.
“Baited by the expectation of salvation and often seduced by promises of wealth, people are increasingly falling into religious cults. The use of concrete refers to the perceived power of faith and how congregants find strength in the Bible. The construction of the trap alludes to temporary church pop-up structures such as tents or rented buildings that appear in strategic places,” explained Ngcai. INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Winner: Vertical Concrete Record
Player by Jomar Dreyer Runner-up: Lime Light by Jon-Peer
Bouwer FASHION Winner: Tribe by Cow Mash Runner-up: My Mother’s Dress by Cheryl Traub Adler ARCHITECTURE Winner: Camara and the Clothing Factory by Wian Jordaan Runner-up: Finding Identity Within the Grid by Suzani van
der Merwe JEWELLERY
Winner: Day Zero – Reversible Pendant by Khanya
Mthethwa. Runner-up: K3 – Keree 3 by Joani Groenewald FILM
No winner but Nirma Madhoo received a Special Commendation.