Art Meets Nature – Anton Smit Exhibitions open at National Botanical Gardens
Whirlwind – Anton Smit
Art Meets Nature
The South African National Biodiversity Institute collaborates with Anton Smit to display artworks across three national botanical gardens, Kirstenbosch, Pretoria and Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens.
“Everything is alive so that I can be alive” – From Sonnet VIII by Pablo Neruba
Just as there is beauty in art, there is art in beauty.
While man may delight in the brilliance of his own creations, he constantly finds himself captivated by the splendour of the setting sun, the majesty bestowed upon the land by a towering mountain, or the masterpiece painted on the canvas of an orchid petal. It is the art of nature, where man finds himself a mere brushstroke of the bigger picture. It also forms the foundation of the work by world-renowned sculptor Anton Smit – exploring how humanity fits within our universe and portraying it in a way that speaks to both the mind and the soul.
This is communicated perfectly in one of Smit’s many insightful poems:
My inspiration is derived from the
interconnectedness of our being –
the flawed cohesiveness of man.
The power to love and hope.
The ever-present awareness of our inadequacy.
We twist and turn in vain to break free,
only to be deeply woven into the fabric
of man’s epic journey.
Anton in Studio – Bronkhorstspruit dam 2024
Set up within three of South Africa’s 11 botanical gardens, Anton Smit’s latest exhibitions, called Art Meets Nature, offer a glimpse of our interconnectedness with nature and with others. They’re a reflection of ourselves and our place in this magnificent world, and speak to the very essence of who we are as a species and what we are capable of.
ALL FEATURED ARTWORKS – AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
To Find out more | Commission a Sculpture, kindly email: info@antonsmit.co.za
The first of the exhibitions are already open for public viewing at the South African National Biodiversity Institute’s (SANBI) National Botanical Gardens in Pretoria, Gauteng, and in Kirstenbosch, Cape Town. A third exhibition will open at SANBI’s Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden in Roodepoort, Gauteng, early 2025. The viewing of these exquisite pieces is already included in the entrance fee to each Garden. Just click their respective links to view the relevant fees.
So, whether you’re an art lover or a family wishing to spend time together amid the splendour of South Africa’s flora, come join us in celebrating our connection with everything around us at the junction where art meets nature.
Enquire about a Sculpture
Art Works at Kirstenbosch Gardens
Born in Boksburg in August 1954, Anton entered his first sculpting exhibition at the age of sixteen and won first prize. Following successful exhibitions in White River, Nelspruit, Pretoria and Cape Town, Smit turned to sculpting full-time.
In 1990, international recognition came in the form of exhibitions in Rome and Milan, an invitation to exhibit in New York and Hong Kong, as well as a return exhibition in Italy in 1993. More exhibitions followed in Bonn, Washington, Singapore and Koln.
His body of work comprises towering human figures, nudes, heads, masks, hands, angels, floating and stretching figures, warriors, as well as abstract works, sculpted out of steel, metal, stone and a unique iron and polymer cast mixture, as well as bronze.
Anton’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Pretoria Art Museum, Rupert Museum, Graff/Delaire Collection, University of Pretoria Museums , Century City Art Foundation.
VIEW MORE OF ANTON SMIT SCULPTURE PORTFOLIO HERE
About Anton Smit Sculptures
Address: Black Eagle Lane, Aqua Vista Mountain Estate, Bronkhorstspruit dam, 1020
South Africa