Derek John Saul
Born : Johannesburg
Age: 37
Brief History
I was born in South Africa in 1971 in a very dark time for our country , i was blessed to see change happen in my lifetime and our country was reborn a free country , this experience of positive change and new freedom has guided the content of much of my work . I was born seperated from my fellow countrymen by unjust laws and archaic preconceptions , I went to a whites only school and discovered my spirit in the eighties when i could think for myself and see the system for what it was . I went to Rhodes University for a year but suffered in my grades because of a wild spirit and an awakening to greater things happening , this was 1990 and the beginning of the break down of apartheid . I got involved in politics and was the head of politcal education for Sasco at Technikon Natal ( South African Students Congress ) a left wing aligned student movement , this was an intense period of growth for me and i still have a socialist heart beating in my breast .
After University went and worked for
Etienne de Kok (perhaps one of the icons of South African foundrymen ) in Durban
casting bronze sculptures, worked on various artists work such as Andries Botha
and Kim Goodwin.
Worked on a large-scale steel project for
the Randburg waterfront with Etienne and David Rousseau ( a famous sculptor in South Africa ) moved up to Johannesburg and worked
with David as his assistant. Went overseas and managed to get a public
commission in Israel to make eight steel birds for Dizengorf Square in Tel
Aviv,on reflection i guess i gravitate to places that are dealing with internal conflicts , also did small private commissions enabling me to leave Israel for
Holland .In Holland i worked odd jobs and saw a country that was enjoying its freedoms . Then went to London where I worked at Bronze Age Art Foundry, I
worked my way through the company starting in mould making ending in final
chasing and patination, here I met Dylan Lewis who invited me to come and work
in his foundry in Stellenbosch. Also in London
cast several pieces of my own which I sold to private buyers.This enabled me to travel to India which was also life changing .Returned home went to
Stellenbosch and built the furnace for Gerald Dietkliffs who was at the time
casting for Dylan exclusively, Left Gerald’s foundry due to retrenchments and
went to stay in Cape Town, there built props for the movie industry
–particularly polyurethane sculptures, got involved in the commercial building
industry working for Architects where I did a lot of work at Ratanga Junction
(Large carved tree) and Century City (Skywalk Mall and Afribizare). Then I moved
up to Sedgefield where I set up a
workshop working mostly in forged metal doing a lot of blacksmithing work for
private clients , I also made a furniture collection inspired by the area (see
Wilderness collection ).I then set up and ran Mandala Fine Art Castings where I
cast work for artists in the area . I then moved back to Cape Town where I have
recently finished a large commission for Anglo American .I have consulted on Art
matters and am currently working on many different projects .My workshop is
fully equipped to cater for all kinds of sculptural commissions, currently I am
working on a furniture collections, gates and small sculptures for private
clients and aim to have an exhibition ready some time in the future called ‘At what
price freedom”
.I have had group exhibitions in South Africa, Holland, Israel and the United
Kingdom. My furniture has been exhibited both here in South Africa and in London. I am available for one off furniture
projects and am open to building work if the end product is interesting and
unusual. I have built balustrades, staircases, built in shelving, hanging
shelving and balcony’s in various mediums though mild steel predominates. I am
familiar with welding of various metals (copper, mild steel, bronze, stainless
steel) and can work creatively in these metals. I have worked hand in hand with
interior designers creating furniture prototypes for production and I am very
familiar with taking a prototype from the design stage to setting up systems
for production (jigs and accurate templates).I am happily available for sculpture commissions .
Thank you for taking the time to look through my work and I hope to hear
from you soon.
Yours
Derek Saul
