Carol Cauldwell
Over the years, Carol Cauldwell has developed a solid reputation and a large worldwide audience for her whimsical sculptures, which appeal to the nostalgic longing in all of us for a more innocent world in which dreams come true. Her work graces many important private collections on most continents. Carol was born in Germiston in 1968 and grew up in picturesque Magaliesburg. Inspired by her father's love of art, she joined the Johannesburg School of Art, Ballet, Drama and Music, initially specializing in music until she switched to art. She acquired a diploma in ceramics from WITS Technicon, where she excelled in sculpture. This led her to set up a pottery studio in Magaliesburg, which later grew into a factory in Modderfontein that eventually hand-painted over 4,000 units a day for chain stores.
As part of a journey of self-discovery and healing, Carol turned to iconography and painted numerous icons and two Orthodox churches, which she covers with stylized motifs and inconography, but throughout this period she aspired to work in 3 dimensions. In 2011, she made the decision to realize her lifelong dream: to start sculpting in wax and bronze, and this has remained her main goal ever since. The enormous discipline required to run a factory creating over 4,000 hand-painted ceramics a day has given Carol the skills to become one of South Africa's most prolific artists, with exceptional focus and work rate. The style of her work has been described as "magic realism".
Carol loves pushing the boundaries in terms of design and materials, which led her to decide to open her own foundry. "Creating art is a healing process for me. It allows me to try and come to terms with the myriad injustices we face every day. My sculptures take a critical look at social, political and cultural issues, treating them in an almost sarcastic, satirical and humorous way. I use fairy tales, fantasy, wordplay, nursery rhymes, illustrations and icons to deconstruct and comment on issues of injustice in its various forms. Although I have worked and continue to work in a variety of media, I am passionate about bronze and love its permanence and durability," Carol Cauldwell.
The artist's works
