Like salt and pepper, or bread and butter, art and wine go hand in hand on our farm. With the festive season around the corner – and for the second year running – we’re proud to share our partnership with a local artist. Last year we showcased the brilliant work of Nandipha Jantjies. This year, we’ve collaborated with Shakes Tembani, whose bold, distinctive work brings new colour, joy and a vibrant sense of community to Spier.
Our partnership captures a shared love of creativity and invites visitors to experience art in unexpected places across our farm, from the Wine Tasting Room to the Cowshed Shop, where Shakes’ vibrant designs appear on this season’s two-bottle carrypacks for you to take home with your wine purchases.
Meet Shakes Tembani
Born and raised in Cape Town, Shakes has spent more than 26 years as a full-time artist, exploring the beauty in everyday life. His paintings are known for their vibrant, stylised forms and the stories they tell about the people who shape his community – especially the strong women at its centre.
A graduate of the Community Arts Project, Ruth Prowse College of Art and Design, and the University of Cape Town, Shakes has exhibited locally and abroad. His work forms part of collections around the world, including here on our farm as part of the Creative Block project, and at Nando’s.
Championing Creativity
Our collaboration with Shakes continues a longstanding tradition of creativity at Spier. Through the Spier Arts Trust, we champion contemporary South African art, supporting hundreds of artists through initiatives such as Creative Block, HUB Studio and Qaqambile Bead Studio.
Since its inception, the Spier Arts Trust has acquired more than 17,500 Creative Blocks from artists nationwide – one of the largest and most diverse collections of contemporary South African art. The spirit of this collective creativity also inspires our Creative Block wine range, where multiple varietal blocks are blended to create something greater than the sum of its parts – much like the collaboration between artist and winemaker.
Our commitment to art forms a key part of our Growing for Good initiatives – programmes that empower communities to create lasting social and environmental change. We believe that South African art should be accessible to everyone, sparking conversation, connection and pride in local talent.
This festive season, we invite you to wander through our creative spaces, discover the work of Shakes Tembani and take home one of our exclusive festive twin-packs – keeping the spirit of the season alive long after you leave our farm gate.
