In the world of art, few things resonate as profoundly as the intersection of emotion, material, and interaction. Juandre van Eck, a 24-year-old ceramics artist from Gqeberha, has beautifully captured this essence in his piece, Waters of Life, which has earned him a merit award in the Sasol New Signatures 2024 competition. With a focus on the critical importance of water, Juandre’s work invites viewers to engage physically and emotionally, embodying the delicate balance between life and the resources that sustain it.
Juandre discusses his artistic journey, the inspiration behind his award-winning piece, and his hopes for the future.
Tell us what your reaction was when you received the news that your work had been selected?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: My reaction when my work was selected was disbelief. I went in to collect my work when a person congratulated me; I was confused about what they were talking about. I was on my way to my mother’s ice cream shop after my class at Nelson Mandela University. I stopped walking and just listened to the caller. My heartbeat felt as if it was moving into my throat, and I had to end the call as I felt way too emotional. I’m still in disbelief but see this as a confirmation in doing the right thing with my life.
Is this the first time you have entered the competition? If so, why, and if not, how many times, and why is this competition important to you?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: This is my first time entering this competition or any art competition. I have never seen my art as good enough to enter competitions.
Tell us a little about your artistic journey up until the point of entering Sasol New Signatures 2024?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: I never had art classes growing up and really only started my art journey fully in 2022 when I applied for a Bachelor of Visual Arts because I wanted to become a photographer, but I fell in love with clay and ceramics, and I am now doing my third year as a ceramic artist.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career as an artist to date?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: The biggest influence on my career is my mother. I studied a different course before starting my BVA. I was studying a course just because I was somewhat interested in it and the salary would be enough. I was struggling, and my mother sat me down and explained to me that I should do what I love. She gave me the courage to become an artist. Throughout my life, my mother has always been there supporting me in art and out. I work hard every day, but it’s like a dream doing what I love.
Tell us a little about why you created the piece you submitted.
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: My Sasol piece was made in response to the meeting I had with my lecturer. As I put down all my ocarinas and flutes, my lecturer was not picking them up to play them. Why would she? Because nobody wants to put their mouth on a place where someone else’s mouth has been. I was thinking, how can I make people interact with my work? The answer came when I was glazing a piece—water displacement! Every skill I learned this year came together to make this piece. While making, sculpting, and refining soil to extract natural clay, sadly, I have not yet been able to produce 100% pure natural clay that does not crack, so I still use 10% commercial clay to stabilize the clay body. As for the concept for this piece, it came as a natural conclusion to my artistic intent.
Tell us about your preferred medium/s …and why?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: My medium is clay; it’s natural and connects me to the earth. It’s timeless. It’s something that will last and is set in stone; it will last as I won’t. It’s the medium that represents my ark in the world’s flood.
When people view your work – what reaction/response are you hoping to create?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: I want a childlike need to touch my work to be invoked; I want them to explore and experience my work actively and not be a bystander. My art needs a person to show its full beauty.
Why do you think your work was chosen as one of the winning works?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: I can only think the reason my work has been chosen is because of my passion that is felt in the piece and awakens the inner child of anyone who touches it. I also think that it was my need to explore what ceramics can do and push the materiality capability of clay.
Which South African artists do you admire and why?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: I admire Kim Sacks; she gets her pieces to be interactive with tactile engagement and sensory experience. I want to learn how to do the same in my own work. I admire Sinethemba Xola, a ceramic artist and also my lecturer who taught me how to build pieces sculpturally with coils. I admire Bentley van Wyk, an amazing wheel-thrower and ceramic artist. He is always there to help and share techniques, and he is the person who has been helping me for the last three years to make ceramics and aiding in their survival in the kiln. He also fires my ceramic experiments—he is an amazing kiln technician!
Do you have an idea of what your first solo exhibition would look like?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: My solo would be four water instruments like my Sasol piece exploring different sounds. Then four large pieces using ceramic beads to make sound. I would like to explore ways to make my work interactive. I would like to have 12 pieces—one for every month in the year. Four different forms of interactive work representing the four seasons.
Anything else you would like to add?
[JUANDRE VAN ECK]: I don’t care if I don’t win! It would mean a lot to me, but just to be there is and will change my life forever. It’s not about winning; it’s about the experience of working with Sasol and seeing art from all over South Africa. Because of Sasol, I am going to Pretoria for the first time. I’m going to fly for the first time. And I’m going to put out my work for the first time outside the safety of my university. It does not matter what happens; I already won so much.
Juandre van Eck’s story is a testament to the power of passion and the transformative nature of art. As he embarks on this new chapter in his career, he invites us all to engage with art not just as observers but as participants in a shared journey.
Featured Image(s) & Interview Source: Supplied
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