Scent of Invisible Footprints

Is it foolishness, obstinacy, foolhardiness, or is it crass perversity to continue to carve a delicate bone piece for hours and hours, for months on end, knowing that it could break into pieces at anytime? Is the agony of the thought, the ecstasy of achieving an accomplished work of Art, as a step toward creating the ultimate masterpiece, worth it? - Pitika Ntuli *** The time is now. The footprint of Pitika Ntuli is emerging as a sculptor of note. In this publication, Ntuli impresses the art world with an unexpectedly diverse range of works, from delicately carved smaller works in bone to monumental stone pieces and wood sculptures. Industrial components become human body parts, giving voice to a generation of silenced workers. Scent of Invisible Footprints intermingles poetry, prose, and sculpture, offering a glimpse into the complex and restless mind of Pitika Ntuli, who spent 32 years of his life in exile. Ntuli turns the familiar into novelty, demystifying daily objects, and powerfully conveying human feeling and sensibilities. Ideas, philosophies, and dreams ooze out of solid, apparently inanimate, objects. His works are full of humor, wit, and magic; imbued with profound indigenous insights, while at the same time conversing with Western artists like Modigliani, Giacometti, and Picasso. To read the book is to follow the scent of invisible footprints into the womb of this extraordinary sculptor's creative mind. The book documents a retrospective exhibition of Ntuli's art. The beauty, diversity, and complexity of form reflect the combination of an extraordinarily unique creativity, a powerful intellect, and a profound spirituality. Ntuli sculpts in the main media of found objects (metal and plastic), stone, bone, and wood. The catalogue includes photographs of the sculptures, as well as poems and drawings. With essays by Ali Khangela Hlongwane, Yonah Seleti, James Swinson, Ari Sitas, Nalini Moodley, David Koloane, and Antoinette Ntuli, this is an inspiring book.