Handcrafted Imports and Barnes Gallery, both of Garden City, announced last week a curated exhibit to be held at Adelphi University through July 28.
The exhibit, “Artists of Cape Town”, may be viewed at the Ruth S. Harley University Center Gallery between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The exhibit will feature the original ceramic artwork of three artists from Cape Town, South Africa: Dragana Jevtovic, Siyabonga and Toni Burton of Zizamele Ceramics.
Every piece by Dragana Jevtovic is uniquely decorated by hand, and often includes African motives: birds, feathers and geckos.
Shunning ready-made commercial products, she mixes her own cobalt blue and tawny underglaze colors.
Her cobalt Blue Guinea Fowl design, inspired by Dutch and Chinese tradition and interpreted with a vision which owes much to her European heritage, depicts the quaint, indigenous African guinea fowl that abound in the gardens and parks of Cape Town. Each vibrant and colorful piece, created and signed by Dragana, is a unique work of art, according to a press release.
From humble beginnings in the township of Guguletha, Siyabonga grew up surrounded by creativity.
With a father and two brothers who were passionate about art, Siyabonga’s love for painting began at an early age.
Each piece by Siyabonga is uniquely decorated by hand and includes African themes inspired by the sunset, desert and sea of the motherland.
Toni Spiller Burton, founder of Zizamele Ceramics, hails from KwaZulu-Natal.
She studied at Michaelis School of Fine Art where she majored in Ceramics and History of Art. Toni oversees and trains a group of local artists who are members of the local Xhosa tribe.
The signature creation of Zizamele Ceramics is the Bambanani Bowl.
The design displays a group of women in colorful clothing all supporting one another by touching hands and dressed in the traditional South African head covering or scarf, very symbolic of the lovely Xhosa women.
Handcrafted Imports (www.handcraftedimports.com) was founded by Eleanor Poppe of Garden City and Etienne Pieterse of Cape Town, South Africa, to bring the works of talented artists in South Africa to the United States, according to a press release.
Through a partnership with Greg Schnoor, owner of Barnes Gallery, an extensive selection of artwork is on display and available for purchase at the gallery at 2 Nassau Blvd, Garden City. Select items are also available for purchase at the Smithsonian African Museum of Art in Washington, D.C.
To view glimpses of the exhibit online, please visit art-galleries.adelphi.edu. Find us on social media: Facebook: Adelphi Exhibitions, and Twitter/Instagram: @AUExhibitions.
