Sculptor Pitika Ntuli won a Global Fine Art People’s Choice Award in Paris for his exhibition Azibuyele Emasisweni (Return to the Source).
South Africa (20 May 2021) – Azibuyele Emasisweni (Return to the Source) is an exhibition by sculptor Pitika Ntuli. His use of bones and poetry have captivated the international fine art community.
Ntuli was awarded the Global Fine Art people’s choice “You-2″ award from the seventh annual Global Fine Art Awards (GFAA). Ntuli’s exhibition took place online due to the pandemic but combined with his powerful poetry and writings, makes an impactful impression on even the most novice art critics.
The awards had a total of 116 nominees so this win for a proudly South African artist is a wonderful one. The nominees came from galleries and museums worldwide.
Ntuli’s works are underlined with political and spiritual references and each of his sculptures is accompanied by a poem. He was born in 1940 in Springs and grew up in Witbank in Mpumalanga.
The sculptures are currently on display at the Melrose Gallery and total an inspiring 45 sculptures.
In Ntuli’s own word, he explains how his works are all imbued with life.
“I do not copy nor work like nature. I work with nature. Bones are vital, as in imbued with life, and it this life that they possess that possesses me when I work. We are partners. Bones, like wood, have definite forms to work with. I do not oppose their internal and external directions, I externalise their inherent shapes to capture the beauty and the truth embedded in them, in other words I empower the bones to attain their own ideal,” – Pitika Ntuli
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