From the artist:
 
“My love for Hylton Nel will never fade. It is a love inherited from my father. Previous works such as Jockstrap Ashtray/My Father Thinks My Work Looks Too Much Like Hyltons reflect on this love as well. A series of plates by the artist that I grew up with in my home serves as a seed for this great admiration. This piece borrows the poeticism and aesthetic cues of Nel’s work reinvented in my own hand. I reflect upon my youth and my father criticising my tendencies towards gayness and being effeminate, while in the same breath praising and admiring these plates, made by a proudly gay artist. I make works in Nel’s likeness to unpack this paradox, hoping that even in jest, I too can temporarily inject myself into the canon of queer clay and ceramic artists to come from South Africa that I so appreciate and enjoy.”
 

clay and acrylic | 21 x 21cm | unique

 
Artist and jewellery designer Githan Coopoo works exclusively in clay to create unique pieces of poetic import. “I find clay to be a medium that is both uncomplicated and universally timeless. I hope my pieces bring a subtle sense of self-awareness to the wearer — an almost grounding sensation. To adorn the body with a fragile ornament is to make a commitment to sensibility and sensitivity — both powerful and beautiful practices.” Githan graduated from UCT in 2017 with degrees in English and Art History. He lives and works in Cape Town.