This exhibition emerges from and embraces the reality and desire for collectivity in the art-making process. This idea is particular to the conceptual process, where materiality and the technical manipulation of material are intrinsic to creativity. Sculpture is a medium that is often demanding and rarely done in isolation. The idea for this show first arose when Jess Bothma was awarded a solo exhibition following the 2024 KZNSA Members’ Show. After careful thought, this opportunity has been reshaped into a group exhibition, as she wanted to explore and celebrate the shared and collective nature of sculptural practice.

As the working title suggests,  she invited artists from across KwaZulu-Natal who explore a variety of materials in their practice. The exhibition foregrounds a wide range of materials, drawn from diverse disciplines, and spanning multiple generations, backgrounds, and techniques — each contributing their unique creative sensibility while collectively building and sharing a space of encounter.

By positioning sculpture as a collective act, the exhibition interrogates broader questions of location and collaboration as elements of creative identity, particularly within our province. It acknowledges that creativity does not exist in isolation but is strengthened by exchange and dialogue.

This exhibition, as well as the selected artists, explore the tensions and synergies between individual and collective approaches to the making of sculpture.