As his surname implies, Christopher was born into a family of creative people, including Bonnie Ntshalintshali, the first artist trained by Fèe Halsted-Berning.Surrounded by artists both within his immediate and his extended family, Christopher started sculpting clay oxen at the age of four when he accompanied his older brothers and cousins into the Drakensberg foothills where they herded the family stock.
While still at school, he often spent weekends at Ardmore and had the opportunity to learn the art sculpting and throwing from Vuzi Ntshalintshali, another of Ardmore 's artists.
In 1998, Christopher joined Ardmore fulltime and he now works closely with Fèe Halsted-Berning.He has the talent to create perfect balance on his wheel and the ability to combine these thrown pieces harmoniously with a variety of animal motifs.
Christopher's distinct style and the perfect proportions of his vases, tureens and expresso cups, have drawn a large following of collectors.His lidded urns and tureens depicting zebra, giraffe and oryx, painted by Wonderboy Nxumalo, fetched fantastic prices at the Christie's auction in January 2004.In 2005 when Fèe Halsted-Berning moved to Lavendula, Caversham, Christopher returned to Ardmore , Champagne Valley Studio and continues to create domestic ware as well as his sculptural object. Christopher accompanied Fee Halsted - Berning to attend the Ardmore exhibition at 71 Campden Hill , High Kensington.The Residence of the South African High Commissioner to London. |
