- Title: South African artist uses salt as medium.
- Date: 26th January 2017
- Summary: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SALT ARTIST, PERCY MAIMELA WORKING ON A PORTRAIT DRAWN WITH SALT VARIOUS OF MAIMELA SPRINKLING SALT ON THE FLOOR VARIOUS OF MAIMELA USING SALT FOR DRAWING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTIST, PERCY MAIMELA SAYING: "You can just take small stones and make something that no one ever thought of. You can take salt, you can take maize meal and make something, like normally you know salt is for food and stuff but then here's salt, do you believe that salt is… even salt companies they wouldn't say salt is just for food anymore. (Laughs) So it gives me a lot of... too much chance to practice. With one bag I can just... waste, make as many masterpieces as I can." MAIMELA'S FACE BAG OF SALT ON THE GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTIST, PERCY MAIMELA SAYING: "Being an artist in total is not easy, cause not everyone understand art and then not everyone is willing to buy art. But everyone is willing to buy something that's provoking to their feelings." MAIMELA SPRINKLING SALT TO DRAW EYE OF FORMER US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA/ PORTRAIT OF OBAMA ON A TABLET MAIMELA WORKING ON PORTRAIT OF OBAMA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTIST, PERCY MAIMELA SAYING: "Sometimes I'll just carry just a black cloth and a bag of salt, then you can just come and give me R300 and then I'll just sketch your face, quick. You see? And for you it's a memory and you'll never get that at anywhere else. You can go anywhere, you'll never get that." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTIST, PERCY MAIMELA SAYING: "What I love about salt is, it's cheaper man, 5 rand you can, you give me 5 rand, you give me just a black space or a dark space, then I can produce a masterpiece and then I can reuse the salt and produce another masterpiece. So with one bag of salt I can make like as much as I want, you see? That's the thing. Artistic material is quite expensive - if you want good quality." VARIOUS OF MAIMELA'S SALT PORTRAIT OF OBAMA ON THE FLOOR/ MAIMELA SPRINKLING SALT MAIMELA SKETCHING HIS NAME 'PERCY' WITH SALT NEXT TO PORTRAIT (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTIST, PERCY MAIMELA SAYING: "It's draining, sometimes you get clients, sometimes you get proper gigs and stuff, but for me, I am still in a learning stage, I wouldn't say like it's joyous and stuff but I'm still in a learning stage but I can see a light and a very big light at the end of the tunnel." MAIMELA WORKING ON PORTRAITS OF FORMER US PRESIDENTS
- Embargoed: 9th February 2017 11:56
- Keywords: salt art portrait obama Percy Maimela
- Location: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
- City: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Art,Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00160PWBPZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Percy Maimela is a seasoned artist. Using table salt as his main medium, he can conjure up detailed images.
The 31-year-old says he has loved art since he was a child and knew he had a level of talent above his peers but never thought it would lead to anything. He couldn't afford professional training so when he finished high school, he went into retail for six years.
Then in 2014, Maimela walked into the store room at a shop where he worked and found salt spilled on the floor - that changed his view of art forever.
"You can just take small stones and make something that no one ever thought of. You can take salt, you can take maize meal and make something, like normally you know salt is for food and stuff but then here's salt, do you believe that salt is… even salt companies they wouldn't say salt is just for food anymore. (Laughs) So it gives me a lot of... too much chance to practice. With one bag I can just... waste, make as many masterpieces as I can," said Maimela.
Even with a unique skill, Maimela, like most artists has struggled to gain recognition.
"Being an artist in total is not easy, cause not everyone understand art and then not everyone is willing to buy art. But everyone is willing to buy something that's provoking to their feelings," Maimela said.
Today Maimela is practising on his dining room floor.
His latest inspiration, Barack Obama provoked mixed feelings around the world as he left office at the end of two terms as president of the United States.
Maimela says he does not need much to get started on a commissioned piece of work. With an investment of less than 50 US cents for salt and a little extra for something sticky, he can sell a piece for about 30 US dollars.
"Sometimes I'll just carry just a black cloth and a bag of salt, then you can just come and give me R300 and then I'll just sketch your face, quick. You see? And for you it's a memory and you'll never get that at anywhere else. You can go anywhere, you'll never get that," he said.
"What I love about salt is, it's cheaper man, 5 rand you can, you give me 5 rand, you give me just a black space or a dark space, then I can produce a masterpiece and then I can reuse the salt and produce another masterpiece. So with one bag of salt I can make like as much as I want, you see? That's the thing. Artistic material is quite expensive - if you want good quality," he explained.
Although his art is cheap to make, Maimela admits it is not as financially rewarding as he would like but believes that he made the right choice when he quit his job in retail to develop his passion.
"It's draining, sometimes you get clients, sometimes you get proper gigs and stuff, but for me, I am still in a learning stage, I wouldn't say like it's joyous and stuff but I'm still in a learning stage but I can see a light and a very big light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
Maimela also works in pencil. He has not been able to get any work shown in galleries but believes his profile is growing especially thanks to the internet. He runs a blog and has been featured on an online artist platform called artwanted.com. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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