We are delighted to announce that Blessing Sanyanga will be launching his Blueprint Exhibition at World Oceans Day celebrations at the aquarium on Sunday the 2nd June! He will also be running some sculpting workshops, so now is your chance to come along and learn from the experts!

Blueprint Exhibition: Summer 2013

I am delighted to present Blueprint, an exhibition of sea life sculptures in Italian marble, Irish limestone and bog-oak.

The idea the exhibition stems from the influence that the sea has had on my work over the last eleven years. The transition from Zimbabwe, a land-locked country to Ireland, an island surrounded by the sea has caused a gradual change in both my choice of subject matter and the progression in my style of work. Our surroundings are an integral source of ideas and this is definitely true for Blueprint. Whether we like it or not, all creation is inspired by nature.

As human beings we are connected to the sea, using her resources, power and nature for our benefit. Ireland has a particularly strong connection to the sea and a rich heritage of seafaring people. I have enjoyed time getting to know the coast of Ireland and exploring the sea and its dominant nature on the landscape, culture and music of Ireland. 

Each of the sculptures has a story to tell. The shark, master of the ocean, powerfully swishes through the sea, confident that he has been engineered by nature to a more sophisticated extent than humans could ever attempt. The mermaid, mythical temptress of the sea sings out an enchanting song from the shore.

I pay great attention to the selection of each stone and strive to find stones with individual character and personality. My father used to remind me, “Choose a stone that talks to you, a stone you can see through.” Each sculpture is a one-off and is made by working straight into the stone, without models or sketches. I place more emphasis on using imagination as a tool to visualize the piece. My fascination with natural shapes and details has led me to recognise bog oak as a suitable material to diversify the scope of my creations.

I invite you to join me this summer for a celebration of the sea.

Blessing Sanyanga, May 2013.

For more information about the exhibition check out :

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