Miné Kleynhans, a sculptor from Bloemfontein and project manager at the University of the Free State Art Gallery, has been named the 2024 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition winner. Her installation, Meditations on Resentment, earned her a R100,000 cash prize and the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum in 2025.

Meditations on Resentment invites participants to confront and express resentment by writing in sand with a sharpened brush and then sweeping it away to reveal a brass thorn. The interactive piece explores the release of suppressed emotions through ritual.

The 2024 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition saw a record 1,013 submissions, with 137 works selected for the final exhibition. Pfunzo Sidogi, Chairperson of the competition, praised the exceptional quality of this year’s entries, making it a particularly challenging judging process.

Runner-up Tandabantu Nathaniel Jongikhaya Matola was recognized for his work Ukuncikelela (To Hold On/Endure), which explores themes of endurance in rural South African communities. Five additional artists received Merit Awards for their outstanding works.

The exhibition runs at the Pretoria Art Museum from September 5 to November 3, 2024, featuring a solo show by 2023 winner Nosiviwe Matikinca, who explores educational inequality through her work Ukungalingani Kwezemfundo.

For more details, visit www.sasolsignatures.co.za.