North Gallery

Forthcoming exhibition by Carol Slabolepszy - My Hares and Graces
31 May to 21 June 2025

Artist's statement:  

I studied Fine Art (as a mature student) at Wits Tech for 4 years from 1999, and while majoring in painting (in oil) I also loved working on three-dimensional work. After graduating and a hiatus of a few years, I decided to work with clay again and started creating life-size hares. I needed to replicate my work and at the same time keep it special.   Every one of my sculptures is microchipped and the owner knows that it is an authentic sculpture from My Hares and Graces. The first hare was Lalela followed Cambalele, Thinker, then Hare Apparent and so it went on. The menagerie has slowly increased to include cats and dogs. During Covid I created a Pangolin and Pup as well as two curled up Pangolins - there was plenty of time to make the many scales that were needed. These unusual mammals are the most trafficked mammals in the world and I donate to the African Pangolin Working Group with each sale of a Pangolin. A small clan of five Meerkats has appeared in the past two months called Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo.
 
What is the most frequently asked question? “Why hares?” ….. From a totally practical point of view they are a manageable size for someone like me who does not have a large studio. But hares (and the occasional pet rabbit) have been a feature of my life since I was very young.
 
The inspiration for my sculptures came largely from my memories of visits to an historic family farm in the Karoo near Norvalspont in the Northern Cape. Driving along the farm roads in the evening or the early morning we would see the Springhase leaping and weaving in the car headlights. I find hares enigmatic. There is sense of mystery to them as they are very difficult to approach. There is a universal story-telling tradition where hares often appear as a symbol of trickery. They are fast, athletic and agile – sometimes aggressive and I relish capturing them in their moments of stillness.