Anton Smit is one of South Africa's best-known sculptors, famous for his huge heads and monumental figures. You don't have to go to a gallery to see his work: some of it stands outdoors in the gardens of Lourensford Wine Estate, about 15 minutes from Green Gables, and you can walk among the pieces for free.
Who is Anton Smit?
Anton Smit was born in Boksburg in 1954. He entered his first sculpture exhibition at sixteen and won first prize, and went on to show in Pretoria and Cape Town before sculpting full-time. Since 1990 he has exhibited internationally, in Italy, Germany, the United States and Singapore, among other places.
His work is known for its scale and emotion: towering human figures, heads, masks and hands, angels, and figures that seem to float or stretch. He works in steel, stone and bronze, and in his own iron and polymer cast. The artist describes the themes of his work as suffering, reconciliation, glory and sublimation.
The Lourensford Art Route
At Lourensford, Smit's sculptures are placed through the estate's gardens, so you come across them as you walk. Works shown there include Crouching Angel, The Colossal Youth, Faith, Speed Head and Submerge.
The route is open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, and entry is free. The pieces are for sale, direct from the artist, through the Anton Smit studio. Exhibitions do change, so check the artist's website before you go if there's a particular piece you'd like to see.
Getting there from Green Gables
Lourensford is on Lourensford Road at the top end of Somerset West, around 15 minutes by car from Green Gables. Combine the sculptures with a wine tasting, or time your visit for the Lourensford Market on a Friday evening or a weekend afternoon.
Where else to see Anton Smit sculptures
Smit's Cape studio is near Gordon's Bay, and his work appears at several other estates nearby. In the Helderberg, Idiom on Sir Lowry's Pass lists his work, and further afield you'll find it at Delaire Graff in Stellenbosch, Grande Provence in Franschhoek and Kirstenbosch in Cape Town.
In Hermanus, about an hour and a quarter from Strand, Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate has a sculpture park and a seven-metre statue called Faith, and there is an exhibition at Creation Wines in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. It's an easy addition to a whale-watching trip.
Art at Green Gables
For art closer to home, Green Gables is home to the Helderberg Fine Art Studio, run by artist and art educator Tiana Goosen. Guests can book a painting or drawing lesson during their stay.
