EBONY

Senzo Ntshalintshali is the only son of Bonnie Ntshalintshali. Raised by his grandmother, Janet, after his mother’s premature death, he modelled small clay cows as a child without yet knowing it would lead him back to her legacy. Today, as a sculptor at Ardmore, he sees his work as a continuation of Bonnie’s creative spirit.

Senzo’s figures return to childhood, exploring the sense of security and loss. A suitcase, an umbrella, a protective animal companion. Mentored by Somandla and Christopher Ntshalintshali and master sculptor Bennet Zondo, he is best known for his lyrical Riders Series: children astride wild dogs, leopards, and pangolins, painted in collaboration with Ardmore’s studio artists using quiet, personal narratives dressed in decorative richness.

Celebrating the enduring legacy of Bonnie Ntshalintshali and 40 years of Ardmore’s pioneering contribution to South African ceramics, ‘Ntshalintshali’ brings together new works by Senzo and Somandla Ntshalintshali alongside Slu’s striking sculptures, celebrating a creative lineage that continues to evolve today. To learn more about Ardmore and its artists, visit www.ardmore.com, and join us this morning to experience ‘Ntshalintshali’.

Slulamile Mlambo grew up in Estcourt, where his fascination with sculpture began on the riverbanks near his home, moulding animals from clay. His artistic journey was profoundly influenced by his grandfather, Gweni Ntshalintshali, and the late Bonnie Ntshalintshali, whose mentorship encouraged the family’s younger generation to explore sculpture.

Slu joined Ardmore in 2006, returning in late 2021, and has since become recognised as one of the studio’s pioneering abstract sculptors. Since 2020 he has returned to the pangolin, distorted, exaggerated, defiant, as a way of holding vulnerability and resilience together.

Join us tomorrow from 11:30am for canapés and refreshments at our Bordeaux House Gallery in the Franschhoek Wine Valley as we celebrate the opening of ‘Ntshalintshali’.

Celebrated for his portrayals of everyday life, Peter Clarke (1929–2014) stands as one of South Africa’s most significant artists, poets, and writers.

Across a career spanning more than six decades, Clarke produced paintings, drawings, and prints that documented the resilience, customs, and social realities of South Africa’s marginalised communities with remarkable humanity and quiet conviction.

We look forward to welcoming you this evening as the Mother City celebrates the July edition of First Thursdays. Visit ‘Modern Masters VIII’, where Clarke’s work is presented alongside works by fellow modern arts contemporaries.

To explore his practice and see available works in the eighth edition of Modern Masters, visit www.ebonycurated.com.

EBONY/CURATED presents the eighth edition of our ‘Modern Masters’ series, on show at our Loop Street gallery from Wednesday 17th June 2026. Each year, we bring together a personal selection of artworks by some of South Africa’s most celebrated names alongside some forgotten voices from the past. This exhibition offers a compelling survey of artistic innovation and influences across the generations. Seen together, these works reveal that the story of modern art in Southern Africa cannot be traced to a single centre or narrative but rather, it emerges from multiple histories, voices and visual languages. Bringing together paintings and works on paper, Modern Masters VIII highlights the depth, diversity and enduring relevance of South African artistic production from the twentieth century and beyond.

Featured Artists |
Walter Battiss
Barbara Burry
Peter Clarke
George Diederick During
Jack Heath
Jane Tully Heath
Simon Moroke Lekgetho
Esther Mahlangu
Sandra McGregor
Phaswane David Mogano
Nathaniel Mokgosi
Hargreaves Ntukwana
Edward Roworth
Winston Saoli
Fred Schimmel
Gerard Sekoto
Willem Strydom
Gordon Vorster