Dean's Award Exhibition 2015: The Winner is Daniel Carstens, B Tech Industrial Design.

On display at the FADA gallery until 12 February 2016, is the body of work of seven finalists, nominated for the 2015 Dean's award. They include Daniel Carstens (Industrial Design), Daniella Ferreira Gil (Visual Art - Fine Art), Mariambibi Khan (Jewellery), Dewald le Roux (Architecture), Shivi Rastogi (Multimedia), Zanne de Meillon (Fashion) and Jessica de Sousa (Design Communication - Graphic Design).

The winner by unanimous decision was the industrial Designer Daniel Carstens - artist statement and images featured below.  The announcement was made at the opening of the FADA Annual Student Exhibition at the end of last year. The exhibition will be annual event and feature the best work produced in the Faculty during the academic year. The present exhibition's run is extend to provide first time registering students the opportunity to view the work during their week of orientation. However the gallery is open to the public; Tuesdays - Fridays 09:00 -16:00 and Saturdays from 09:00- 13:00. 

The Winner's Artist Statement; 

Daniel Carstens, Industrial Design.

This body of work embodies the diversity of my BTech Industrial design portfolio. The Industrial design process presents the opportunity for innovation through the development of products for real-world application. Each design outcome illustrates considered design thinking in addressing the needs of specific product users. My ethos throughout each design process was to challenge the limits of technology, materials and manufacture to realise design outcomes that truly place the users’ needs at the core of the product.

The PAWS interactive dog toy and collar addresses the need for time-starved pet owners to maintain the health and well-being of their pet (left image). The system employs the technological advancements in connectivity to stimulate interaction and reinforce companionship. The nature of the product afforded the use of playful forms and colours to create a product that would be suitable for both pets and their owners.

The Deka multi-functional concrete furniture (image above) adopts a human-centered design approach, considering the needs of the Gift- of the Givers initiative at the University of Johannesburg’s Doornfontein campus. The design thinking was to develop multifunctional seating that could accommodate over 400 students in a disused parking lot, reinventing the space as a communal hub for students. The design outcome draws inspiration from UJ’s celebration of a decade of excellence through its decagonal shape. The juxtaposition of hard concrete facets with greenery is symbolic of UJ’s celebration of diversity. The notion of diversity is further echoed through Deka’s multifunctional construction, where inverting the upper structure can provide either an intimate inward facing bench and table, or an outward facing bench for those looking for a personal space to utilise.

The Cobb Induction cooking system represents the application of cutting edge heating technology encapsulated with a refined form that offers the sophisticated design language at the core of the Cobb brand. The design thinking employed the notions of versatility and functionality, focusing on user interaction and engagement.

The Quill tattoo machine (title Image above) is the output of my dissertation study that is aimed at reducing the development of musculoskeletal disorders amongst tattoo artists. From a personal perspective as a member of the tattoo subculture, the notion that the existing tattoo machine was causing the tattoo artist’s pain, discomfort and even long-term damage elicited the need for the redesign of the tattoo machine. The design process focused on the reduction of the weight and vibration, while improving ergonomic considerations, cleaning and functionality.

The ultimate aim was to give the artist the best tool for their trade. Aesthetic inspiration was drawn from skeletal forms, with sweeping lines and organic features challenging the conventional mechanical aesthetic.

Through extensive research and process work, each design was transformed from a conceptual idea to a product that pushes boundaries through innovation, ultimately providing users with better solutions to their needs.

The many Faces of Nelson Mandela – an Epic Documentary Portrait by Chinese Artist Li Bin. FADA Atrium.

The Many Faces of Nelson Mandela.

An Epic Documentary Portrait by Chinese Artist Li Bin.

FADA Atrium, Bunting Road Campus, University of Johannesburg.

Viewing Times: Mondays to Fridays 09:00 – 16:00.

It took the artist two years to complete, stretching 38 meters wide and 3.8 meters in height, illustrating the iconic life of Nelson Mandela in three chapters; Prisoner, President and Peacemaker. The portrait of Nelson Mandela is painted plus minus sixty times in this epic rendering of the worlds most valued peace icon, it is on display to coincide with Freedom Day. Incorporated in the painting are a vast number of portraits of world leaders, celebrities and children from across the world - an oil painting of epic proportions in style and scale.

According to the agreement reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma during the president Xi’s state visit to South Africa in 2013, the year of 2015 was designated the year of China in South Africa, which according to the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, will play a significant role in promoting and consolidating the traditional friendship between China and South Africa.

The Epic Painting of Nelson Mandela is therefore hosted by the University of Johannesburg and its Confucius Institute, and exhibited in the atrium of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture building in support of the bilateral agreement between the two countries – to share and promote collaboration and interaction on various levels, including cultural exchanges.  The Epic painting, termed a ‘documentary portrait’ was painted by Li Bin, and is on view until 9 May 2015. The massive artwork was painted in China in the artist studio, and the various canvases were transported in a huge crate, before being installed in the atrium for a gala unveiling to the media, dignitaries, UJ staff and students on Tuesday 21 April.

Painting Mandela – The Artist’s statement.

I studied historical documents while composing the painting, setting it at 3.8 × 38 meters, with a counterclockwise chromatic pattern of a rainbow.

There are three green jewels on the rainbow: Robben Island, a map of South Africa, and a globe with the African continent. The 38-meter long painting is divided into a triptych: the first section “Prisoner” shows a middle-aged Mandela reading in prison against a dark green backdrop in the shape of Robben Island.

A quotation from Mandela states: “I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man.” The background shows Mandela’s experiences from his childhood to his prison years. 

The second section of the triptych, entitled “President,” shows Mandela walking toward the viewer against a backdrop of a green map of South Africa. The background shows Mandela coming out of prison, calming down the riots, and election to president as well as the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with its publicity slogans: “Truth hurts, but silence kills.” “If your mother was tortured your father murdered and children abducted, would you be silent ?” 

The third section of the triptych “Peacemaker” shows a white-haired Mandela surrounded by children of all races against a backdrop of the globe. The background shows his career after retirement, his brokering of peace in international conflicts as well as his charity work. The overall color spectrum is that of a rainbow holding three green gems, from dark to bright, from small to large.

Afterwards, I painted scenes from the grand funeral at the end of the rainbow: undulating amidst the noble color purple is the cadenza of Mandela’s passing. I painted the guests at his funeral and added other world leaders who sent their condolences. Around the eight escorts of Mandela’s casket, I painted ordinary people from South Africa and around the world. 

All are sending him off with deep thought and admiration. Touched by this final magnificence, I believe that this last cadenza will help the monumental painting Mandela forever resonate in the hearts of the viewer.

About the painter. Mr. Li Bin

 Born in Shanghai in 1949, Li Bin was a Red Guard, a sent-down youth, and a Communist Party member. He became a professional artist in 1976 and did graduate studies at the Central Art Academy from 1982 to 1984. He left China in 1987 and became an American citizen in 1997, returning to live in Shanghai in 2000.

His major works include Scars; Maple; Zhang Zhixin; One Who Risks Being Sliced to Pieces Dares to Unsaddle the Emperor; Memory of the Oil Lamp series; Founding Father; From Emperor to Citizen (The Release of Pu Yi); Communists; the Morning of Shanghai, Hello Xiaoping; The World Belongs to You; Salute to Luo Zhongli; Revolutionary Couple (Sun Yat-sen and Song Qingling); Nineteen-Fifties; Dreamscape: No. 1 Zhengyi Road; Sunshine on April 24, and other works. He has painted Madame Chiang Kai-shek, American Congresswoman Nancy Polosi and other famous personages. He repainted Maple in 2009.