More than 65 learners from high schools in the Southern Cape explored exciting new ideas in art with two leading South African artists at the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) in Oudtshoorn this week.

The two artists, Jaco Siberhagen and Mmakgabo Sebidi, and Vic Vaccaro, the Visual Arts advisor for the South Cape/Karoo district of the Western Cape Education Department, organised a workshop for the learners at Oudtshoorn’s Principia College.

The workshop provided the learners with the opportunity of creating and exhibiting their work with 18 artists from all over Africa at the KKNK exhibition titled "The Dreams of our Daughters".

The work of Mmakgabo Sebidi features in the matric syllabus. The workshop provided learners taking Art as a matric subject with the opportunity of meeting the internationally acclaimed South African artist, and to learn more about her life and work.

"What was so refreshing was the ease with which she and the learners laughed and interacted with each other," Vaccaro said. "They shared stories of their childhood and discussed how artists from this continent have the better of two worlds, the ‘modern’ and the ‘traditional’ means of visual communication available to them."

"Mmakgabo reminded the learners of the privilege of being raised in a rural setting and that we should seek to incorporate the things that we are most familiar with into our work."

"For example, at the workshop, the learners had to use ground oxides rather than commercial paints, and had to paint with chicken feathers instead of brushes."

A sculpture by Jaco Siberhagen, called "Share their Dream", illustrated the spirit of the exhibition. A description of the sculpture reads as follows:

"From the roof of the venue, ropes were hung leading to a point where they become part of a woven fabric in a handmade loom. This symbolised the united origin (born /made in Africa) of the artists. At about eye level a piece of cloth from the artists is hung and attached to the rope a little handmade book of dreams. The ropes also symbolize footpaths for young girls to follow. Every person, who accomplishes something great, leaves a footpath for somebody else to follow."

Vaccaro continued: "The whole experience culminated in a Performance art work by Antoinette Piennar. We were all spellbound by her music and traditional stories of the leatherback turtle, representing motherhood, and her eggs, representing ‘little dreams which are born to us as we live our lives’."

"The workshop provided an exciting opportunity for us to celebrate life and art together. We are extremely grateful to the artists who made this experience possible."