Artists builds his life with sand art for 15 years

Tourism has been among the most hard hit industries during the Covid-19 lockdown. Among those struggling to eke out a living are Durban’s sand artists who once thrived on the golden mile, creating art for the many visitors found on the promenade. In a monthly series, the Berea Mail’s Danica Hansen will interview several sand artists to find out more about their struggles.

SAND artist, Lucas Mahlanga has been creating sculptures on the Durban beachfront for 15 years. He currently works near the Bay of Plenty, where his sculptures sparks interest in many passersby.

He said he turned to sand sculpting to earn a living after he lost his job as a casual worker at the Durban Harbour.

“After that I worked in Pinetown in construction, but the contract ended. That’s when I came here to the beach and saw guys working with the sand. I started to ask myself if I could do this. I pushed myself. I started going to the beach to practice. After practicing, I saw I could do this,” he said.

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Mahlanga said the income he earns as a sand sculptor is irregular.

“Sometimes it is better, sometimes it’s worse. There are different people on different days, sometimes there aren’t many people at the beach, just a few people. I can’t say I earn this amount of money. It’s a win-lose situation,” he said.

He is the breadwinner in his family, supporting his wife and two children.

“Now my wife is helping but most of the time, it’s me. One of my children is in Grade 6 and the other is in college in Johannesburg. I am proud, but it is so difficult because it is a private college,” he said.

The sand artist travels from his home in Pinetown to work as a sand sculptor on the beachfront. His most notable sculpture is a towering palace complete with a South African flag. Mahlanga said he maintains his sculptures for a few weeks before building something new once a month.

“It’s like painting a house when it doesn’t look nice. When we see people coming every day, seeing the same thing, we build something new. People don’t like it if they see the same thing all the time. Children don’t hide their words, they say, ‘we were here yesterday, we saw the sculpture last month,’ ” he said.

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The artist makes an income by building branded logos on the sand for companies that pay a monthly rate. He also takes requests from the public.

“Some people learn art at school, but making art with sand is a talent from God. You must have the mind to see what you want to make,” he said.

He said he has faced criticism over the years from passersby.

“Some people say I am harassing them. I am sorry, but I have been here for 15 years and I like everyone,” he concluded.

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