Day Three: Ardmore Cermic Art

The iconic Ardmore Ceramic Art studio was founded in the mid-eighties by ceramic artist Fée Halsted and can be found in the Midlands, KZN.

Their signature designs are sold and collected globally and their studio is dedicated to the many talented artists and makers in their community who all collaborate in the crafting of their statement pieces.

Thabiso Mohlakoana

Thabiso Mohlakoana was born in 1991 in Lesotho and came to Ardmore Ceramic Art in 2015. Passionate about nature and conservation, and the Pangolin’s cause specifically, Thabiso has become renowned for pushing the boundaries of clay with his large Pangolin sculptures. 

When he places each individual scale it is as if Thabiso is replacing each scale that has been stolen from these exotic animals through illegal trade. 

Since 2018 Thabiso has only produced a small number of  Pangolin sculptures, mainly for commissions. He believes that his pangolins should  not be exploited like they have been and are the real world. Their rarity makes them prized among Ardmore collectors and they have been exhibited in museums in Cape Town, London, and the United States.