Artist Walkabout: Pierre Fouché

Pierre Fouché is an internationally respected lacemaker and is already a farm favourite at Spier. His beautifully detailed lacework inspired the creation of Spier’s ‘These Waves’ range of wines.

Although he is a contemporary artist, Fouché frequently finds his creative spark from the past to produce something completely new. His feature piece at the exhibition, ‘The Little Binche Peacock’, reimagines a famous work of fine linen lace that dates back to the 18th century and was made using the traditional Binche technique.

It was during his artist residency in Switzerland in 2014 that Fouché first encountered the Binche technique, but it left a lasting mark. Born in Pretoria, educated in Stellenbosch and exhibited in several countries internationally, Fouché explores the unknown, which has led him to obscure practices and techniques such as macramé, drawn thread embroidery, encaustic painting, and pinhole photography.

Featured work

‘The Seas and all will part, Expire’ includes a large-scale rope-work diorama of an abstract landscape. The piece took Fouché three years to finish but it highlights just how talented this master lacemaker is. Be sure to use your eyes and nose when interacting with the piece because the rope-work has been infused with the unique fragrance of Khaki Bush (Tagetes Minuta).

‘The Lord Himself Among Us’ – another piece in the exhibition – is a polychrome silk bobbin lace work showing a classical nude with a peacock companion. It’s a personal, fantastical, and mythological celebration of lace, which Fouché considers “a humble material that captures the complexity and breadth of the human experience and ingenuity”.

‘His Foam White Arms’ is a cotton braid lace scroll 6.4m in length, with jagged, repeating patterns reminiscent of a frill shark’s serrated teeth. Visitors to the exhibition will see Fouché’s use of morse code to share poetry by novelist and explorer Crosbie Garstin, which tells the story of a sailor who is tragically seduced by the sea. This work inspired our special wine release, These Waves Viognier 2015 which is available exclusively at the farm and online.

PLACE: Spier Old Wine Cellar
COST: Free entry
RSVP to olivial@spier.co.za

Art, like food and wine, is best shared, which is why Spier is such an enthusiastic supporter of African artists and their creations. Housing one of the largest contemporary art collections in the country, Spier believes in the power of the visual arts to teach and inspire, encouraging us all to engage openly with our world and each other. With such a thriving local artistic community and rich cultural heritage, Spier is excited about the future of South African art.