New in the Studio

The Studio@ 400 Sydney Rd Durban. 
The rule: Place of work.                   
It is this home for me, Jessica Bothma and Bhekazi Ernest Ngcobo. It is sculpture in its broadest material sense that eminates from here. We also fix things, mostly for friends. That feels good. The life blood of the the studio is commission based, both national and international. Our local Durban context is sadly a dystopian, dying city. Just beyond the vitality of the studio, outside measures this sadness: Municipal service collapse, fractured energy supply, and of course crime, violence and corruption. Inside is what we together create as a counter narrative; complex, passionate discussions that we try to ground in positive personal behaviour and, sculptural metaphor. We have a hot shower, so people come and the studio breathes as a shape shifter while we continue to find what it means to keep a African studio alive. 

Aesthetics, style….? Do me a favour.

Andries botha, August 2023