Villiers de Adriaan

CV

Adriaan de Villiers - Ceramics

1984, Cape Town, South Africa
Lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa

Education
BA in Visual Arts (Fine Art), University of Stellenbosch, 2007

Goup Exhibitions
2013
Look on the bright side. SANAA Galerie
2007
Ceramics SA Regional Exhibition
Timo Smuts Art Competition
2006
Ceramics SA Regional Exhibition

Awards
2009
Thami Mnyele Residency grant
2008
Prize for best sculpture at the Vuleka Art Competition

Biografie

 Towers form the main body of my work. The tower refers to: The Tower of Babel and is a symbol of power. It also is a religious symbol. My ceramic sculptures are an unorthodox protest against sterile, modern architecture.

The Spanish architect, Gaudi, is one of my main influences. Hundertwasser, Russian architecture, Outsider Art and Gustav Klimt inform my sculptures.

My sculptures are inspired by the appearance of flowers from South Africa. Other forms in nature such as shells influence my work. My recent sculptures are inspired by trees such as the South African Milkwood Tree and the Juniper Tree. A tree is often a religious symbol. In the Bible a juniper tree with an angelic presence sheltered the prophet Elijah from Queen Jezebel's pursuit.

These influences are combined to create my own individual and imaginative version of architecture and nature. My domed sculptures are reminiscent of fairytale castles, but with a humorous perspective. I elaborate on the idea of the house as a container of effects.

Adriaan de Villiers heeft deze milkwood sculpturen gemaakt tijdens een residency at Thami Mnyele stichting in 2013.

White Milkwood
Sideroxylon inerme "white milkwood" / "melkhout" (Afrikaans)/ "umqwashu" (Xhosa)/ "umbhobe"(Zulu)

A characteristic feature of the Southern Overberg, the milkwood is a low-growing, evergreen tree. It is rarely found with a straight trunk; instead, its gnarled, sprawling branches often create impenetrable thickets that are home to a variety of wild life. Although also occurring inland, milkwoods are found mainly along the coast from the Cape Peninsula to northern Zululand in South Africa.

The small, yellowy-green flowers have an unusual sour-smell (Jan-July). The edible, juicy, black fruit (July-Jan) are enjoyed by birds and baboons. The milky latex which gives the tree its common name makes the leaves and the bark unpalatable to grazing animals. The wood is very hard, heavy and strong. In the past, it was used for ship building, bridges, mills and ploughs. It is very durable even when wet and it shrinks little with drying. In days gone by, the site of a farmyard was often determined by the presence of a milkwood. Their dense, umbrella-shaped crowns created a perfect "roof" for the meat chests that pre-dated refrigerators.

Traditionally, the milkwood has a number of medicinal uses: the roots are roasted and made into a powder and mixed with the seed of Trichilia emetica. From this a paste is made which is used to aid the healing of fractured bones. An infusion of its bark is said to dispel nightmares and such an infusion can also be used as an astringent.