Chandeliers: Verandah

Suspended beneath the concrete entablature outside the Court’s west entrance façade, two woven light sculptures, each measuring approximately four and a half metres in length, form a striking intervention within the architectural threshold. Developed by artist Lindelani Ngwenya in collaboration with the architects and completed in his studio, the works translate traditional weaving techniques into large-scale sculptural forms.

Drawing on practices historically associated with women in KwaZulu-Natal, Ngwenya adapts these methods through the use of copper and aluminium rather than grass. He describes copper as “African gold,” valuing its malleability in creating fluid, organic shapes. While distinct from his more familiar figurative work, the lights retain his signature woven approach.

Positioned within a shaded alcove, the suspended forms introduce a sense of lightness and movement, offering a visual counterpoint to the weight and solidity of the surrounding concrete architecture.