Atang Tshikare: Puruma

Puruma means “roar” in Setswana, the mother tongue of the South African artist Atang Tshikare. In the forest at Wanås, Tshikare has created a fantastical hybrid creature, inspired by South Africa’s national flower, the King Protea, and a lion, placed atop a small pond in the sculpture park.

Tshikare works sculpturally with materials such as bronze, ceramics and wood, and invites the viewer into a tactile and imaginative world. The stories that shape his art often draw from personal dreams and cultural myths, where flora, fauna, and fictional creatures are allowed to coexist.

Puruma is Tshikare’s first public sculpture and marks the artist’s debut exhibition in Sweden. In conjunction with the exhibition, a monographic catalogue on the artist’s practice will be published. The production of Atang Tshikare’s sculpture is supported by the Hjalmar Wicander Foundation and Wanås Konst Patrons Circle.