Welcome to my website
I am essentially an artist who works in clay. My work eminates from a fascination with people and their relationships -- to each other, to themselves and to other important things or moments in their lives. I like to capture fleeting moments in clay, where a gesture reveals the depth and nature of these relationships, much like an author would reveal these depths with snippets of dialogue: Pets sit selfassured next to their owners on a couch, certain of a place in their hearts, women sit astride hulking African animals, totems of the power they have brought forth, women dance with wild abandon to music only they can hear, celebrating their freedom, couples stand arm in arm, but is he more reluctant than her? I work mostly in a buttery porcelain clay which, when treated in the way that I work, has a feeling of human flesh, with all the vulnerability that being human implies. Regardless of where one is in the world, we are all human and have people and things which colour our souls and leave imprints in our hearts. This gives my work an universal appeal. I sell work to galleries on all continents and to all nationalities. Each piece is hand made. I do not use moulds, therefore each sculpture is an original work of art, even though the motifs and themes which characterise my art echo through the collection. The work is often small and inexpensive enough to make a very meaningfull gift, which is also an investment in an original work of art. This bridging of the gift and art markets, I have to confess, has been the main reason for my commercial success as an artist. Commercial success is a double edged sword for any artist. It ties you down to the expectation of your collectors and buyers, while as an artist, I have this compulsion to evolve and embrace new techniques and moods and colours. Luckily I evolve slowly. It is my hope that this website can keep collectors all over the world in touch with the snail pace of my artistic evolution.I have various ranges (which are still made entirley by hand), which facilitates the ordering process for galleries. It is the purpose of this website to group and update these ranges. You will see the categories in the menu. I also have a section for the one-off exhibition pieces which can be bought off the website. There are also photographs of canvases which I have painted and my recent foray into functionalware is also displayed on this site. I work and live in the quaint old garrison town of Chelsea Village in Wynberg, Cape Town. Even though my work is represented all over South Africa, and the world, I have recently opened a signature shop around the corner from home, Tania Babb Ceramics, where the latest work, still hot out of the kiln, gets displayed. This shop has afforded me the oppourtunity of meeting the people who have been collecting my work for years, you are always welcome to visit. |