Legacies of Liberation go to London
Neill Wright (29) from Glenvista is moving up in the art world and recently was asked to exhibit his Legacies of Liberation sculptures in London, UK.
GLENVISTA – Over the past few years Neill has had solo exhibitions at the Lovell Gallery in Cape Town and Everard Read in Rosebank having also taken part in various group exhibitions at a number of different galleries.
Born in the South of Joburg he attended Mondeor Primary School and matriculated from St John’s College in Johannesburg North. After matriculating he went on to study fine art and print making at UCT. He achieved an honours degree in fine arts and a post graduate diploma in print making. After studying he took a gap year working in Mozambique and travelling through South America.
He really began to take fine art seriously from 2011 when he had his first solo exhibition in Cape Town followed by a 2nd one at the end of 2012 also in Cape Town at the Lovell Gallery which currently represents him in both Cape Town and London.
Since he was a young boy he loved Lego and building things and this has led him to where he is today. “I used to build Lego-like men from wood and The Legacies of Liberation collection was carved from Jacaranda wood. Many hours of hard work went into the figures which I sent to The Loop Foundry in White River to be finished. Moulds of wax were done of the figures and then they were cast as bronze. They are now extremely heavy,” laughed Neill.
When talking about the series, Neill said the work developed as a reaction to the continued lip-service paid by the leaders of nations. Throughout the continent, bronze statues are erected as symbols of freedom, unity and strength embodying the ideals of nationhood yet in many instances has come to be viewed by the people as symbols of megalomania and bad governance. The wealth barely filters down to the masses and the marginalisation and abandonment along with disenfranchisement, unemployment, poverty and violence remain the primary seeds of discontent. The use of toy like characters create a sense of nostalgia and playfulness which is at direct odds with the message being portrayed. He feels this makes the tragedy more palatable, juxtaposing the freedom of childhood with the complete lack of freedom experienced by millions.
Through his representation by the Lovell Gallery the wheels have been set in motion and he has also exhibited in Sydney Australia and a number of different art fairs in South Africa including the FNB Joburg Art Fair.
“I was thrilled when one of the Legacies of Liberation sculptures was chosen to be on show in the gardens of the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town,” Neill added.
When asked what the future holds for him, he said, “I want to become bigger and better. I think all artists wish to be recognised, and for me having my Legacies of Liberation sculptures showing in London is fantastic and an honour. ”
