Stars of the North – Revisiting Sculpture from Limpopo by Anitra Nettleton and Same Mdluli

Stars of the North: Revisiting Sculpture from Limpopo is the catalogue that accompanied the exhibition of the same name at the Wits Art Museum in Johannesburg, which ran from 3 March to 12 April 2015. It was published by the Wits Art Museum in 2015 and edited by Julia Charlton, Anitra Nettleton and Leigh Blanckenberg. The exhibition was organised by curators Julia Charlton, Anitra Nettleton and Fiona Rankin-Smith.

Stars of the North opens with an introductory essay by Anitra Nettleton and Same Mdluli, followed by illustrated artist biographies by Lynne Cooney, Melissa Parry and Same Mdluli. The nine sculptors covered are Jackson Hlungwani, Noria Mabasa, Johannes Maswanganyi, Nelson Mukhuba, Freddy Ramabulana, Phillip Rikhotso, Johannes Segogela, Doctor Phutuma Seoka and Tshikudo Paul Thavhana. The works are photographed by Mark Lewis and John Hodgkiss, with captions giving dimensions, and a select bibliography is included.

Stars of the North brings together some of the most important names in South African carving from the Limpopo region, artists whose work moved from rural workshops into national galleries and major collections. The catalogue is a compact but valuable record of their careers and of how their sculpture is being looked at again by a new generation of curators and scholars.

Condition – Near Fine

A clean, bright copy of this softcover booklet showing only the faintest signs of handling. The covers are clean and free of creases or tears, the spine and binding are sound, and the pages are clean and unmarked with no inscriptions, stamps or foxing. A very well-kept example.