ART FOR CONSERVATION 2023
After successfully raising approximately R400 000 towards the conservation of endangered mammals at our inaugural Art for Conservation Auction last year, we are proud to be joining forces once again with The Platform Gallery. We are eager to come together again in the fight to protect these precious mammals through the support of talented South African artists such as the world-renowned Mbongeni Buthelezi, Anton Smit and many more!
Join us on World Wildlife Day, Friday, March 3 2023 at noon on The Far Side Farm in the KZN Midlands to enjoy a one-of-a-kind afternoon where a collection of fine art created by South Africa’s most exciting, established, and upcoming artists, and curated by The Platform Gallery, will be auctioned.
With online bidding opening 48 hours before the live auction, you can be one of the first to view the collection. It will also be live-streamed to interested art purchasers worldwide.
Register here:
https://theplatform.gallery/arcregistration/ to participate virtually.
Purchase tickets here:
If you’d prefer to join us in person: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/196369-arc-art-for-conservation-live-auction-202
Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed as we announce artists and artworks: https://subscribepage.io/ARCSignUp















HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE AUCTION:
Download The Art For Conservation 2023 Digital Catalogue here
MEET THE ARTISTS

MBONGENI BUTHELEZI
Born in rural KZN, moved to Johannesburg and took the opportunity to create in the Funda Centre.
Mbongeni is a fine artist who turns landfill plastic into phenomenal artworks. He is an activist and creates work with an incredibly loud voice.
Mbongenis’ murals and portraits have an extraordinary range and depth… and it is an even more powerful statement that he uses plastic.
To say you have a ‘Buthelezi” in your collection is a badge of honour.

ANTON SMIT
Smit evokes themes of suffering, reconciliation, glory and sublimation through his sculptures. His work forms its own language and manifests passion for expression.
A persistence and determination to excel is obvious in Anton’s creations. His art is there to raise awareness. So many of Anton Smit’s pieces manage to communicate powerfully – a raw, earthy power – that feels innately African.

SARAH RICHARDS
Through a lifetime of sculpting wildlife, Sarah Richards has developed an intimate connection with each of her pieces, and managed to achieve a level of fine detail and texture that is striking to the human eye.
Richards’ mastery of Patinas has placed her bronze works among the most vibrant spectacles in the spaces they’ve been exhibited around the world. According to Richards, what we see in the final product is an intricate play between different chemicals and the reactive nature of the raw bronze. Her Wild Dog series is a perfect reflection of this, each dog is finished with 4 different chemicals that bring out the bronze coloring and help the sculptures achieve their lifelike features.
Sarah Richards has previously worked with the Wildlands Conservation group and the WESSA Umgeni Reserve.

ALLEN HALLETT
A phenomenal artist and sculptor, Allen Hallett has also worked as a ranger for a number of years. In his time as a ranger, Hallett completed over 500 expeditions and gained an intimate knowledge of African wildlife.
As a professional artist, Hallett has over 30 years of experience. This experience allows for mastery and a special ability to capture the essence of every animal he sculpts.
Collectors will often hear stories of personal encounters with the subjects of his pieces. Allen Hallett has worked with several conservation groups and has sold hundreds of pieces all over the world.

LLEWELLYN DAVIES
Llewelyn Davies. A sculptor for over 30 years. Known for both his human and wildlife sculptures his work has a distinctive smooth finish and a monochrome patina.
Davies has an unmatched ability to portray proportion, light, negative space, an animals’ skeletal and muscular frame. This ability allows him to apply life and movement into his sculptures…
And as legend would have it – makes it difficult to pull ones eyes away from his pieces.

FALCONER ART STUDIOS
Husband-and-wife team, Seth and Claire Falconer make abstract sculptures with an accessible narrative by repeating simple forms to create a complex whole.
Drawing inspiration from a spiritual connection to nature and wildlife the expression seen in their work is one of ancient method and repetition.

FLORIAN JUNGE
Florian was born in Hamburg, Germany and then lived in Mozambique before settling in South Africa
Florian sees art in almost anything. He transforms everyday articles into works of fine art by predominantly using reclaimed items.
His work is inspired by and reflects an array of emotions, which he successfully communicates.
Florian describes himself as a ‘learning’ artist and one living his truth by constantly looking at the world in new ways.
Florian only produces one-off pieces.

SIMON ADDY
Simon has become known as one of South Africas’ leading landscape artists.
Rendered with passion and technical facility much like the ‘old masters’, Simons’ landscapes evoke the spirit of Africa through veld, old houses, winter grasses and brooding skies.
Often mistaken for oil – Simon works with acrylic paint experimenting with texture and technique in the meticulous way only he seems to behold.
His art investigates the drama of change and motion through ravages of time.

CARL ROBERTS
A master sculptor and craftsman who gently works natural materials such as bone, wood and stone to expose the hidden beauty in their form, grain and textures. Carl has a way of letting his subconscious guide his work.
Carl’s work is seen as surrealist or dream-like, bringing the observer into an engaging and thought-provoking conversation.
Carl has exhibited extensively both in RSA and internationally forming part of private, corporate and public collections.

MICHELLE CLEVELAND
From her earliest beginnings Michelle and the natural world have been intertwined.
Her connection to nature fuels her unique vision. Her works show a passion and desire to express light and feel essence through her oil paintings.

ANGIE ARBUTHNOT
Angie is a down-to-earth family-orientated artist based in the KZN midlands.
She is known for her complete freedom and flow of her brush-strokes, which is very evident in her work. She has a soulful style with a minimalist detail and bold bursts of colour to create artworks that are vibrant and exciting.

JAMES COOK
The sculpture James produces grapples with the complexity of human form and emotion.
Initially aiming for realism, Cooks’ sculptures now resemble fragmented nature which sit slightly outside the bounds of reality.
James has worked with mediums such as oil paint and resin but bronze is where he identifies most.
James Cook is one of the youngest artists in the ARC Auction and is one to look out for.

RORY COX
Up and coming artist, Rory Cox is making waves in his local Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands area. His work is strikingly noticeable despite being fairly new on the scene. He has solidified a very identifiable style which is very rare for someone so early on in their career.
Rory’s works are ethereal and demand attention in gallery spaces. He uses a deconstructed style to highlight anatomical elements of his pieces. This combined with the rawness of his patinas create sculpture which is both powerful and beautiful.

GRAHAM EDMUNDS
Graham studied photography in the late 1970’s and went on to help create Africas’ largest corporate communications and event production company.
Under the tutelage of UK based, William Cooper, Edmunds migrated into the world of watercolours.
Graham has rapidly developed his own distinctive style in the medium. His work is centred around a love of African wildlife and explored alternative colour and movement.

VINCENT REID
Having been actively creating for the past 10 years, Reid has produced some of the most popular wildlife art coming out of KZN in recent memory.
Each of his photo-realistic pencil drawings begin in the bush-veld of Southern Africa. Reid immerses himself into the wild and captures the intimate moments that make his work come to life.
Vincent has worked with the Zululand Rhino Horn Foundation, among others.

NATASHA BARNES
Painting has consumed Barnes’ life since the age of 7. Defining who she is today an incredible contemporary artist. Completely self taught she transforms the ordinary into art. Many of her pieces form part of public and private collections worldwide.
With a love for expressionism and movement, Barnes creates abstract works of colour. Her work is greatly influenced by nature.

HELENA VOGELZANG
An artist rooted in the continent that gifted the world with Nelson Mandela; South Africa.
Born with Africa seated in her Soul, the rich heritage and wildlife of her country of origin, has a profound influence on her work.
Helena is compelled by the complex three-dimensional values of form. Which allows her to
capture elusive connectivity.