Ardmore Ceramic Art, a South African studio located in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands region, is renowned for producing exquisitely handcrafted and highly detailed sculptural and figurative works. These pieces are colorful, imaginative, vibrant, delicate, and dramatic.
From its humble beginnings in a poverty-stricken corner of South Africa to its fame as the creators of exceptional works of art, this famous studio produces unique ceramic pieces that are prized by collectors, galleries, and museums throughout the world.
The vibrant ceramics of Ardmore, ranging from functional domestic ware to sculptural art in the highly decorative African tradition, offer a fine insight into the subtle influences of rural potters at work in the Champagne Valley of KwaZulu Natal. These artists combine the elements of their tribal tradition with the unique perspective of a new world.
A display of Ardmore Ceramics.
The Origins of Ardmore
The story of Ardmore began in 1985 when Fèe Halsted lived on the farm Ardmore, in the Champagne Valley under the shadow of the Drakensberg Mountains. It was on the Ardmore farm - by ingenuity, by thrift and by chance - that Fèe developed the style that has made Ardmore ceramics famous.
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“I used to make tiles,” she remembers, “when one cracked, I’d stick a rabbit or bird on the top to hide it.” Then Fèe decided she needed an assistant. This was when luck played its part.
Bonnie Ntshalintshali, who had polio as a child and could hardly walk, showed a natural aptitude for ceramic art. Her ability with colour, design and texture and her diligence was everything Fèe could have desired in a student.
Fée Halsted and Bonnie Ntshalintshali, the founders of Ardmore Ceramics.
The Rise of Ardmore
At Ardmore, Bonnie Ntshalintshali was at first an apprentice, but in time she and Halsted ran the studio more as partners. In 1988 Ntshalintshali won the Corobrik National Ceramics Award. She and Halsted were jointly named winners of a Standard Bank Young Artist Award in 1990.
The catalogue for this exhibition, written by South African fine artist Andrew Verster, described Ntshalintshali's ceramics as follows: "The characters in Bonnie's work, the animals, the birds and the people are all individuals. One is attracted to them precisely because they are such powerful personalities."
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In 1991, she was invited to design fabric prints based on her ceramics for a festival in Grahamstown. Her ceramics were featured at the Seville Expo in 1992, at the Venice Biennale in 1993, and at the South African Bienniale in 1995.
Bonnie Ntshalintshali died in 1999, from illness related to HIV/AIDS. She was 32 years old.
The Ardmore Style
In the beginning at Ardmore no traditional techniques were used. Their work broke from the ceramic conventions of the time, fired terracotta clay was painted with plaka paints, boot polish and oven blackeners. Glues and putty were also used.
When Ardmore first opened the doors of its ceramic studio, the ceramics were produced mainly by women. Gradually, however, their male partners realized that they, too, could work with clay under the scenic backdrop of the Champagne and Cathkin mountain peaks of the Drakensberg range located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Their patience and extraordinary ability to pay attention to detail gives rise to artwork of tremendous charm and beauty. The women, in turn, have responded to the new creative energy that has flowed into Ardmore and, of their own accord, have modified their style of painting. Their fine feathering, scaling and bead- and basket-like patterns now enhance the form.
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Examples of Ardmore Artworks and Artists:
- Bird Vase - Sculptor; Lovemore/ Sondelani Ntshalintshali
- Zebra Rhino Platter - Sculptor; Alex Sibanda
More than 85 artists draw from their Zulu traditions and folklore, history, the natural world, and their own lives for inspiration.
Since 1987, Ed Pascoe has operated the Pascoe Gallery in Miami. In 2008, he discovered Ardmore Ceramic Art, became one of its most ardent supporters, and is currently the exclusive Ardmore Ceramic Art importer and distributor in the United States.
He visits the Ardmore Studio in South Africa three to four times annually to commission new exhibition pieces and, Fée Halsted, the founder of Ardmore, has become a regular guest at the Florida show hosted by the Gallery.
Key Figures in Ardmore Ceramics:
| Name | Role | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Fée Halsted | Founder | Developed the unique Ardmore style and established the studio. |
| Bonnie Ntshalintshali | Partner, Artist | Contributed significantly to the artistic direction and success of Ardmore. |
Ardmore Ceramics Art Studio - Africa Travel Channel
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