Corporate Social Review Magazine 3rd & 4th QUARTER 2012 | Page 79

ADVERTORIAL Two decates creating careers for young artists The annual PPC Cement Young Concrete Sculptor Awards Competition, also known as the YCSA, is a partnership between our company and the Association of Arts Pretoria. Over the past 19 years, YCSA has enabled several award winners to launch successful careers in the art world. The competition was initiated as one of PPC's centenary celebrations in 1992. This year, to commemorate its 20th anniversary, an exclusive exhibition of the current works of previous winners was held in May - a truly remarkable collection of talented South African sculptors and their artworks. The event also gave aspiring artists entering the 2011 competition the perfect opportunity to see what can be achieved with cement. One of the early winners noted that techniques today were almost unthinkable 20 years ago, "in 1993, we were just casting in the same old way... today people are actually using concrete." Angus Taylor, 1994 winner, has his own foundry in Pretoria - working mainly in bronze, stainless steel and concrete - where he also teaches and nurtures the talent of young developing artists. One of these artists is PhanuelMabaso from Limpopo (runner-up in 2005 and overall winner in 2007) whose style is easily recognised in the sculpture of his Grandfather which he submitted for this exhibition. Sonja Geyer, overall winner in 1993, is another example of the exceptionally high calibre of work this competition has inspired and attracted. Another previous winner of the YCSA who has gained huge recognition for her exceptional talent is MariekePrinsloo. Her Little Swimmer Girl is part of an 18 sculpture narrative Walking the Road that is currently on display on the Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town. The YCSA is a truly unique competition and the country's only major competition exclusively devoted to the art of sculpture - and undoubtedly one of the most successful projects initiated to celebrate PPC's centenary year. CORPORATE SOCIAL REVIEW 77