LOCAL SALT ARTIST TO EXHIBIT IN THE USA

LOCAL SALT ARTIST TO EXHIBIT IN THE USA

Maimela with commissioned art work

 

Byline: Nthokwa Lehogonolo Kgomo

Email address: nolo.nk8@gmail.com

Twitter handle: nthokwa_kgomo

Percy Maimela also known as The Salt artist is a 34 year old visual artist from Winterveld, Pretoria. He is best known for using salt as one of his mediums to create his artworks. Maimela has once again pushed the envelope by setting a Guinness world record for aground coffee image mosaic.

Maimela is an artist who goes beyond the boundaries of traditional art as he constantly finds new ways to create unique masterpieces. He began experimenting with different art mediums from the year 2014 and realised that he had a niche for using materials that were not normally meant for art.

He says salt was not the only supply he has used for his previous artworks. He says he has also incorporated black ash, sugar, maize meal and sand. It seems the only one that had stuck with people who were admirers of his art, was the salt hence the nickname The Salt artist.

His unique way of making his artworks and setting the world record afforded Maimela the opportunity to travel abroad and cement himself in the international art scene. He is currently organizing an exhibition to take place in the United States in Virginia.

The world record holder says the idea of setting a Guinness world record is not something that just sprung up. “I have always wanted to set or break a worldrecord,” said Maimela. He says to accomplish this was not easy feat. He says late last year his dream was realized because of his collaboration with Sound Ideas Session under BRAINFARM (PTY) LTD.

Maimela states that the collaboration between himself and BRAINFARM happened by chance. He had been commissioned to do a portrait with coffee grounds of world renowned producer, DJ Black coffee. “I was initially reluctant to do the job, because coffee was not my speciality,” said Maimela.

Maimela with his record setting ground coffee mosaic of DJ Black Coffee.
Photo: Chris Wessels

Maimela says the collaboration prompted the attempt to set a new Guinness world record without using salt, but with light brown to green unroasted grounded coffee beans. Percy had mentioned that finding the specific beans was rather a difficult and drawn out task for the team, but it was worth the effort. 

His choice of the medium was encouraged by therequirements that were set by Guinness, for the specific record he was trying to set. He says the criteria that wasgiven to him by the Guinness world record committeewas that the mosaic should be a recognisable image, have minimum measurements of the image, should be 25 m2 and should have no empty spaces in the image. The title was officially announced at Sandton city on the 12th of September 2019 with the final image sitting at 25.96 m2.

Maimela stated that being a record holder has changed his approach towards his business and the path in which his career has taken. “The title has made it easier for me to communicate with my high profile clients, as I understand now that they recognise my work at a more established level.”

He says he is not only focused on international opportunities, but the local ones too. He says he recently entered an art competition in Victoria yards, and he also plans to do a collaboration with other industries.“This will assist in conceptualizing something bigger than the art, which will hopefully inspire people to find their inner artist” said Maimela.

Percy is situated at August House in Johannesburg an art community that he credits for his growth in the knowledge of everything art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej6j6g0UGGQ&feature=youtu.be