CORNÉ DU PLESSIS ATTAINS IMMEDIATE SALE AT SCULPTX FAIR

SCULPTOR / PHOTOGRAPHER CORNÉ DU PLESSIS
ATTAINS IMMEDIATE SALE AT SCULPTX FAIR IN JOHANNESBURG

Participating as a sculptor for the second year in the annual SculptX Fair at the Melrose
Gallery in Johannesburg, professional photographer Corné du Plessis attained the first sale
of the 2024 fair at its VIP Opening on Thursday September 5th with the entire series he had
on exhibit. The limited edition series of five pieces are titled Life’s Journey, “depicting the
emotional and physical scarring and healing most of us experience on our journey through
life,” says Corné.

Sculpting came as a progression from his photography, which – like his sculpting – has a
strong focus on the male physique. His medium of choice is ceramics, using the age old
Japanese technique of Raku to decorate each piece with a different Raku process. The
pieces are fired to a temperature of between 950°C and 1,100°C. At peak temperature, they
are pulled from the kiln and placed in a reduction chamber with sawdust and newspaper.
The flames and smoke from this process develop the colours. By nature, this is an
unpredictable process and makes each piece truly unique.

The five pieces comprising the series were purchased within thirty minutes of the fair’s
opening by Joburg based entrepreneur Tony de Gouveia.
“Being new to sculpting, I was delighted that the curator accepted my work to be included
in the exhibition again this year,” admits Corné. “During the 2023 fair, two of my works
were sold, which encouraged me to submit larger works for this year’s fair. I was
overwhelmed when my series sold so quickly.”

The annual SculptX Fair is the largest sculpture fair in South Africa, hosted by The Melrose
Gallery in Johannesburg. SculptX provides a valuable platform for emerging, mid-career and
established artists. It aims to celebrate sculpture as an important genre in itself. This year
celebrates the seventh edition of the fair, with over 50 artists presenting more than 150
artworks fashioned from materials ranging from bronze, wood, glass, crystal and steel to
bone, resin and other media. The vast number of sculptures encompass figurative works,
depicting the human body, the natural world or the built environment, as well as an array of
abstract works.

The SculptX exhibition is at The Melrose Galley, 10 High Street, Melrose Arch until 7
November 2024.