Published 02 September 2024 in News
Sasol New Signatures
Neo Theku Sasol New Signatures 2024 Finalist
Pretoria Art Museum
Wessels St, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0007, Tshwane, South Africa
05 September - 03 November 2024
Neo Theku l Sacrificial Lamb l 2024 l Edition of 5 l Digital Print on Archival paper l 74 x 54 cm
About Neo Theku, Sacrificial Lamb
"Substance addiction is a destructive force, particularly impacting the youth who often fall into its grasp. Initially drawn by curiosity or peer influence, young individuals may start using substances to escape the pressures and challenges of their reality. However, what begins as a voluntary choice quickly spirals into a compulsion.
Influenced by habitual powers and the continuous consumption of substances, the lives of the youth are on the line. With every intake, they build walls that trap them in a deceptive fantasy, a futile escape from reality. Continued consumption wires the brain to compulsively seek more substances to trigger dopamine. The more one takes, the more one cannot quench their unending thirst, leading to a dependency where the substance becomes as essential as breathing.
The lamb appears free and comfortable, yet it is metaphorically trapped in the arms of an unseen figure. This symbolizes how substance addiction paralyzes the youth, making them feel liberated while imprisoning them. An unlabeled tank containing a substance symbolizes the desperation of addiction, where the addict's need becomes so overwhelming that they consume anything, regardless of its identity or potential harm to their body and system."
About Sasol New Signatures
"Sometimes it’s the smallest things that have the greatest effect. From the invisible molecules that make up the paint adorning a canvas, to the undiscovered artist who captivates audiences with a unique and inspiring masterpiece – this is your time to be noticed."
Art plays an important part in the cultural fabric of our nation and competitions serve to encourage greater creativity across age, gender and education, as well as to acknowledge the wealth of talent that we have in our country. We recognize that art is one of the most fundamental expressions of human behaviour, and Sasol has thus been assembling a collection of contemporary South African art since the 1960’s. The collection came about through the efforts of former Sasol Chairman, Johannes Stegmann, who worked tirelessly to assemble a collection that gives enjoyment, inspires, enriches, and occasionally perplexes. His influence began a period of many years where talented young South Africans were given the opportunity to excel in the visual and performing arts. According to Stegmann,” What touches the spirit of man more than art? From the earliest times, it was literature, music and the visual arts which distinguished man from other beings. Art is a mystery which communicates through languages which cannot easily be translated into words. Art is also often controversial, especially when it is contemporary. “ The Sasol New Signatures competition has been a platform for promoting emerging artists and their work to the art loving public at large. Many of the works now have a proud place in the Sasol art collection.
For more information please navigate to the SASOL New Signatures website here