JUANDRÉ VAN ECK (24) – 2024 MERIT AWARD WINNER FROM GQEBERHA

Juandré VAN ECK (24)

Gqeberha

Waters of life

Ceramics

42 cm x 32 cm x 16 cm

This is a ceramic piece made from 90 % natural clay and 10% commercial, stimulating blood flow in the human body. This piece is designed to be an interactive piece exploring the critical importance of water for our survival. As the piece is tilted gently, there is a sustained whistle representing the steady rhythm of life, but if you rapidly move it, you evoke a sporadic, panicked heartbeat, which symbolises the reckless use of our resources and the fear of scarcity and depletion. The delicate flow of water and the fragile whistle’s pulse reminds us that life is precious and fleeting, and the gentle, soothing sound of the whistle can quickly turn to silence, and in a moment, everything can come to an end. This piece is meant to be moved and tilted from side to side and not only to be looked at.

Slowly or fast, but always with a firm grip.

Q&A

Tell us what your reaction was when you received the news that your work had be selected?

My reaction when my work was selected, was disbelief. I went in to collect my work when a person congratulated me, I was confused about what they are talking about. I was on my way to my mother’s ice-cream shop after my class at Nelson Mandela University. I stopped walking and just listened to the caller. My heartbeat felt if it was moving into my throat and I had to end the call as I felt way to emotional. I'm still in disbelief, but see this as a confirmation in doing the right thing with my life.

Is this the first time you have entered the competition? If so why and if not how many times and why is this competition an important one for you?

This is my first time entering this competition or any art competition. I have never seen my art as good enough to enter competitions.

Tell us a little about your artistic journey up until the point of entering Sasol New Signatures 2024?

I never had art classes growing up and really only started my art journey fully in 2022 when I applied for Bachelors of Visual Arts, because I wanted to become a photographer, but I fell in love with clay and ceramics and I am doing my 3rd year as a ceramic artist.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career as an artist to date? 

The biggest influence in my career is my Mother. I studied a different course before starting my BVA. I was studying a course just because I was somewhat interested in it and the salary would be enough. I was struggling and my mother sat me down and explained to me I should do what I love. She gave me the courage to become an artist. Throughout my life my Mother has always been there supporting me in art and out. I work hard every day but it's like a dream doing what I love.

Tell us a little about why you created the piece you submitted? 

My Sasol piece was made in response to the meeting I had with my lecturer. As I put down all my ocarinas and flutes, my lecturer was not picking them up to play them. Why would she?, Because nobody wants to put their mouth on a place where someone else’s mouth has been. I was thinking, how can I make people interact with my work, and the answer came when I was glazing a piece—water displacement! Every skill I learned in this year came together to make this piece. While making, sculpting, and refining soil to extract natural clay, sadly, I have not yet been able to produce 100% pure natural clay that does not crack, so I still use 10% commercial clay to stabilise the clay body. As for the concept for this piece, it came as a natural conclusion to my artistic intent.

Tell us about your preferred medium/s ...and why? 

My medium is clay, it's natural and connects me to the earth. It's timeless.

It’s something that will last and is set in stone, it will last as I won't. It’s the medium that represents my ark in the world's flood.

When people view your work – what reaction/response are you hoping to create? 

I want a childlike need to touch my work to be invoked, I want them to explore and experience my work actively and not be a bystander. My art needs a person to make it show it full beauty.

Why do you think your work was chosen as one of the winning works?

I can only think the reason my work has been chosen is because of my passion that is felt in the piece and awakens the inner child of anyone who touches it. I also think that it was my need to explore what ceramic can do and push materiality capability of clay.

Which South African artists do you admire and why?

I admire Kim Sacks, she gets her pieces to be interactive with tactile engagement and sensory experience. I want to learn how to do the same in my own work.

I admire Sinethemba Xola, a ceramic artist and also my lecturer that taught me how to build pieces sculpturally with coils. I admire Bentley van Wyk, an amazing wheel-thrower and ceramic artist. He is always there to help and share techniques, and he is the person who has been helping me the last 3 years to make ceramics and aiding in their survival in the kiln. He also fires my ceramic experiments - he is an amazing kiln technician!

Do you have an idea of what your first solo exhibition would look like?

My solo would be 4 water instruments like my Sasol piece exploring different sounds.

Then 4 large pieces using ceramic beads to make sound. I would like to explore ways to make my work interactive. I would like to have 12 pieces - 1 for every month in the year. 4 different forms of interactive work representing the 4 seasons.

Anything else you would like to add?

I don’t care if I don’t win! It would mean a lot to me, but just to be there is and will change my life forever. It’s not about wining it's about the experience of working with Sasol and seeing art from all over South Africa. Because of Sasol, I am going to Pretoria for the first time. I'm going to fly for the first time. And I’m going to put out my work for the first time outside the safety of my university. It does not matter what happens. I already won so much.