Malcolm Christian
Visiting Artist

07.07.08 19.07.08

The Caversham Center is a laboratory that engages the creative spirit to develop specific and complementary ways of contributing to society through the arts. The Caversham © Hourglass Process of Reflection, Dialogue and CreACTion ™ harnesses an individual’s unique potential and builds personal awareness and vision as a vehicle for contribution to their community. This process has led to the development of broad-based innovative programs, which extend beyond Caversham. In this context we invite its creator, the South African artist Malcolm Christian,to lead “Tracing Inspiration”, a seminar for Argentine artists in ´ace.

In addition, his presence in Buenos Aires was very significant. Christian was an important mentor for the development of the Proyecto´ace Residency Program. Alicia Candiani, founder of ´ace, met Malcolm Christian in 2003 at an international seminar that they collaboratively taught at the University of Connecticut in the USA. From that moment on, through conversations, exchange of ideas and another meeting, this generous artist advised us and gave us his experience, paving the way to develop our own program.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Malcolm Christian is a South African artist who has participated in exhibitions at home and abroad and whose work is included in national and international collections. From 1976 to 1985, Malcolm Christian was a full-time professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Engraving at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg and at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, both in South Africa.

In 1985 the artist founded The Caversham Press in the Midlands of KwaZulu’Natal, South Africa. This workshop has worked with over 150 major South African artists (including William Kentridge) as well as international ones. Many editions of The Caversham Press are represented in public and private collections locally and internationally. In 2000, the project grew when Christian founded the Caversham Center for Artists and Writers, a nonprofit organization that has been active since 2000, developing an artists-in-residence program – which includes writers and visual artists – focusing on the production of artist books.

In 2014 he was awarded Honorary Doctorate from UKZN, University KwaZulu- Natal recognizing all that he has done for the art world in South Africa and all the lives he has touched.

BIO
Malcolm Christian
1950 | Born in Durban, South Africa.
Founder and executive director of the Caversham Center. KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

STUDIES
1984 | Master of Visual Arts, Cum Laude, University of Natal. South Africa.
1976 | Higher Diploma of Engraving, with Distinction. Natal Technikon. Durban, South Africa.
1975 | Postgraduate in Graphics, with Distinction. Croydon College of Art and Design, England.
1973 | National Diploma in Art and Design (Sculpture) with Distinction.
National Certificate in Photography, with Distinction. Natal College for Advanced Technical Education. Durban, South Africa.

EXHIBITIONS
2007 | Hourglass Project: Inspiration. 12 artists, 24 engravings and 6 books.
2005 | Hourglass Project: Personal Vocabulary. 16 artists, 18 engravings and 6 books.
2003 | Hourglass Project: Journey. 16 artists, 25 engravings and 6 books.
2003 | E-Pos – Frans Masereel Association Center. 4 writers and 4 artists, 16 prints.
2001 | Hourglass Project: Baggage. 17 artists, 40 prints.
2000 | The hourglass project: a vision of women, a dialogue of the millennium. fifteen women artists, 30 prints and portrait book.

AWARDS
1973 | Emma Smith Scholarship abroad. Natal College for Advanced Technical Education. Durban, South Africa.

Related Activities

International Projects, Workshops

Mapping inspiration
Malcolm Christian

07.07.08 19.07.08

This collaborative work meeting explored non-adhesive structures in artists book and used the artist’s book itself as an excuse or metaphor to embark on a journey of a new project that explores the concept of inspiration and its use to deepen the meaning of our lives and that of other people.

The dictionary defines the concept of “inspiration” as a sudden stimulus that a person feels and that favors creativity, the search for solutions to a problem, the conception of ideas that allow undertaking a project, etc., especially that which the artist feels. That encourages the creation of works of art. This definition combines the physical / practical with the metaphysical, outlined as a breath or divine influence. In the same way, this workshop is not only a practical seminar, where technique is the dominant subject, but also proposes to investigate the concept, which will serve as a support to develop books by folded artists or containing structures that can be used to add richness and meaning to our work.

The work process will be based on personal symbols and metaphors. Through an experimental journey we will achieve a better understanding about the way in which we build ideas and how we share them with our peers. We hope that this session will provide participants with a concrete opportunity to acquire and share new knowledge about art and technique, while also providing personal insight.

The creative passengers -participants- brought for this trip:
-Generosity of spirit
-Objects that we call Memory and Meaning because they are repositories of symbols or personal memories, which served as the basis for reflection and exchange. Through them we seek to promote trust among the participants, enriching interaction and cultural dialogue.

Related artists

Malcolm Christian

MAPPING INSPIRATION

Participants artists:
Cecilia Afonso Esteves (Argentina)
Marina Aizen (Argentina)
Gustavo Cabrera (Argentina)
Noel Loeschbor (Argentina)
Bruno Patyn (Bélgica)
Liliana Sanchez (Argentina)
Valeria Zamparolo (Argentina)