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All posts for the month November, 2016
Proportional many artists from the Overberg participate in the ‘Angels, Demons and Gargoyles’ exhibition in the Breytenbach Gallery in Wellington. The exhibition opens this Saturday 26 November at 11AM and lasts until Mid-January. Overberg artists are, amongst others, Niel Jonker (Baardskeerdersbos), Lawrence and Cathy Brennon (Hermanus) and Herman van Bon and Frans Mulder (Napier).
A landscape is never boring and always moving. The shadows are a natural sundial.
This is the third and last post in a series about ‘unknown’ people in Napier who work in silence. They all have a few things in common: many of them are virtually unknown in their own village and they all make a living out of the ordinary. This post is about chess set maker Leon Visser in Napier.
Behind the facade of a coffee and gift shop in Napier something remarkable is happening. Leon Visser, assisted by his wife Adri, manufactures chess boards and pieces in six different varieties plus a miniature set. He started his business in 1998 and it has evolved into a well run little enterprise with export around the globe. And still it remains a typical ‘mama-papa’ business; well organized with outsourcing (packing, etc.) to other small local businesses. The chess pieces are made of pewter which he shapes himself into rubber moulds.
This is the second post in a series about ‘unknown’ people in Napier who work in silence. They all have a few things in common: many of them are virtually unknown in their own village and they all make a living out of the ordinary. This second post is about Jennifer Bam in Napier.
Sculptor Jennifer Bam keeps a low profile but despite that she is known in the right circles. Word of mouth goes fast and so does Jennifer. She became known as one of sculptors who created the huge central sculptures of Africa Burns which are once every year erected in the Tankwa Karoo. From there she travelled on request around the globe leaving her signature behind as far as in California. No small objects for Jennifer thinks big, very big; up to 13 meters high. At the moment she is with a team of 80 people in Cape Town engaged in the design and creation of all decor materials for a new ‘Tomb Raider‘ movie.
Only female surf board maker in South Africa
But there is more: Jennifer likes to surf but did not like the ordinary surf boards. So she designed a new one; a kind of a hybrid which is designated for ‘fun surfing’. Also this became a source of income since other surfers asked her to make one for them. Environmental conscious as she is Jennifer uses biodegradable resins reinforced with hemp. Although a sideline of her activities the surf boards provide her with a regular income. She is in the surfers community known as the only female surf board maker in South Africa and one of the hand full worldwide.
