The Helgaard Steyn award, one of the most substantial prizes within the South African arts scene, is presented to a noteworthy artist active in the disciplines of literature, musical composition, sculpture or painting. For the year 2015, Penny Siopis will receive this award for her painting entitled Swarm. You can read more details (in Afrikaans) here.
The Helgaard Steyn award has increased in monetary value over the years and is now worth R550 000. The press release cites the extraordinary nature of this painting:
‘Swarm is a complex and dynamic work of art that communicates in an intense and personal way. It engages and captivates the onlooker with unexpected vitality, the emotive scope and cognitive depth underpinning the message. While the overall impression of the work seems very abstract, the method, in direct relation to the theme, captivates and enchants the viewer to really experience “the swarm” in a somewhat disconcerting way that seems to both repel and attract at the same time.’
Congratulations to Penny Siopis
