Page 20 - Landscape-Issue148

FEATURE

AVIAN EXHIBITION AT

KIRSTENBOSCH

Sonja Swanepoel is a sculptor, environmental and landscape architect who explores
the natural world in her art. The themes underpinning her work are reconnection

to nature and the interconnectedness of all things. An exhibition of her work was
held recently at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town.

Multi-dimensional sculptures can be placed in different ways Avis stratera is a lightweight sculpture, well-suited to a roof garden

y studying forms in nature, she sees delicately balanced, just like our natural saddens me greatly. Besides pets, birds are
connections between humans and ecology. As in nature, her last work informs the closest most city people get to wildlife,
Bother species. Her sculptures convey her of the next one in an ongoing cycle of making them the creatures most likely to
ecological messages regarding man’s continuity and evolution. evoke sympathy. I investigate how a deeper
deteriorating relationship with nature, understanding of birds can lead us to better
and her art inspires acts of restoration Man’s relationship with birds understand the natural world, and my birds
and conservation. In her Avian series, she Swanepoel explains: “In my first series of act as messengers to reveal a specific truth.”
explores the ancient history of bird species works, I explore man’s relationship with She adds that they are delicately
and our symbiotic relationship with them. birds, their ancient history and their role in balanced, just like our natural ecology,
our fragile ecosystem. The initial inspiration and can be viewed from multiple angles.
Chosen medium came from a friend who sent me a picture Their sometimes smooth, reflective texture
Her chosen medium is clay which is tactile, of pigeons on a busy road in downtown serves as a mirror, reflecting our own image
drawn from the earth and the scaffolding of Johannesburg. I was intrigued by the back to us, as we always tend to believe
life on earth; it alludes to all living species’ beautiful forms they make as they fly and I we are not personally responsible for this
connection to the land and how the wanted to capture these shapes in sculpted destruction in our natural world, rather
environment is negatively affected if this form. Like most artists, I’m fascinated by blaming it on others.
bond is broken. the process that drives people to create. The fragile quality of the sculptures
The sculptures are monochromatic and Jung’s idea of the collective consciousness enforces the idea of how fragile our
this allows her to create different forms comes to mind. My birds quickly became ecosystems are, and the bone-like quality
from various angles, in a juxtaposition instinctive and archetypal, where I relied plays on the reality of extinction. The
that potentially amplifies the feelings of on my sub-conscious idea of ‘birdness’ incredible variety in bird shapes and forms
discomfort/confinement that she hopes to create the most powerful forms and is astounding, such as when falling from the
to convey. It allows the viewer to focus on messages.” sky, when being fed, always defying gravity,
form, line and light. She limits the use of and their collective consciousness when
armature as she believes her sculptures’ Species extinction and the Avis flying together. Their lightness makes them
forms should be strong enough to defy collection one of the most inspiring forms to sculpt.
gravity and stand on their own, like trees in She says that thousands of bird species are “Although we are confronted by
nature. They fit together like puzzle pieces, becoming extinct each year and she wants ecological problems every day, I do have
support each other, and form a collective. her sculptures to create awareness of this hope. If we lose that, we stand to lose the
These fragile ceramic, marble composite fact, and of our fragile existence on earth. battle of existence. We need art to hold fast
and concrete pieces are left exposed for “We are living in the ‘Age of Man’, also to a greater depth of being and trust in the
nature’s patina to make its mark; the idea of known as the anthropocene epoch, where power of wonder. This, I think, is my calling”.
man’s mortality, and that of other species, is human activity has a significant impact She became fascinated by birds as a
central to the message she conveys. on the planet. Species become extinct sculptural object early in her artistic life,
Most of her pieces are multi-dimensional, every day, habitats and natural areas are stating: “The more I read about them
with no specific top or bottom, and are sacrificed in the name of progress, and this the more entranced I became. Their

18 Landscape SA • Issue 148 2025 Check us out www.salandscape.co.za