A moving elephant prayer sculpture is one of the many masterworks from Ardmore’s Endangered Auction Exhibition, which was held at Cape Town’s Constantia Uitsig in 2022. Artworks for this show were made to commemorate the Ubhejane Trust, which honors endangered species and raises awareness of their plight. This imposing sculpture depicts four elephant heads joined together, evoking strong emotional responses as they seem to cry for help. It is expressively sculpted by Thabo Mbhele and painted by Siyabonga Mabaso in green tones to represent universal efforts to protect our planet, with patterned tusks that draw the viewer’s attention to the cruel history of the ivory trade.
BELOW: Created for an endangered wildlife auction, this group of life-sized wild dog sculptures were sculpted by Senzo Ntshalinthsali and Thabiso Makhele, and painted by Mthulisi Ncube and Siyabonga Mabaso.
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Fée admires sculptress Octavia Mazibuko’s just- finished leopard tureen.
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The Ardmore “See No Evil Monkey Sculpture” shows four monkeys suggesting it’s best to see, hear, do, and speak no evil—as frequently illustrated in similar style in the famous Japanese pictorial maxim. At Ardmore, sculptor Moshe Sello created this special COVID-themed version, which was painted by Mthulisi Ncube.
from their more experienced colleagues in the studio, as well as being supported and trained by Halsted-Berning herself. In recent years, Ardmore has branched out beyond ceramics and sculpture and now produces upholstery fabrics, homeware items ranging from table runners and napkins to scatter cushions, and even fashion accessories and jewelry. These new lines of creation had their origins in Halsted- Berning’s admiration of the Arts and Crafts Movement artist and maker William de Morgan, who believed in the importance of living with art. F irst trialed as an experimental range in 2010, Ardmore’s textile designs proved so immediate a success that they became a permanent fixture in 2013, kicking off a multi-faceted future for the overall Ardmore Design brand. Its development also heralded the process of Ardmore becoming a family business, with Halsted- Berning’s son Jonathan Berning, and her daughters Catherine and Megan Berning, all taking on roles
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