Mavis was born in 1965 and, like her sister Punch, grew up in the shadow of the KwaZulu Natal Drakensberg and the Ardmore farm where their parents were employed.After leaving school, Mavis also found employment on the Ardmore farm, but with the help of Fèe Halsted-Berning and through perseverance and a dogged determination to follow her sister, she uncovered a talent for drawing and design and in 1990 became a full member of Ardmore's creative team.
Mavis's rich and complex designs follow the forms of Zulu beading and basket work : her beadlike patterns and fine attention to detail resulting in ceramics that delight the eye and charm the spirits.This style, which she created, has since been copied by many other painters at Ardmore.Her pieces are particularly sought after by French, German and Italian collectors.
At the Christie's exhibition in London in January 2004 her teapots, candlesticks, pots and bowls drew considerable interest and were later successfully auctioned.Mavis herself now has two children but, nevertheless, has found the opportunity to travel with Ardmore's exhibitions locally - visiting Cape Town in 1999.
Collections:
Durban Art Gallery
University of the Witwatersrand
Corobrik Collection, Pietermaritzburg
Exhibitons:
1990
Diminicus Gallery, Johannesburg
1992
Volkskas Exhibition, Durban
The Natal Route , Ferguson Fine Art, Johannesburg
1992-1996
Gallery on Tyrone, Johannesburg
1994
NSA ( Natal Society of Arts) Exhibition, Durban
Carnegie Gallery, Newcastle
1995
The Spirit of our Stories, Print Exhibition, Grahamstown
1997
Vita Crafts Now Exhibition, Pretoria
South African National Ceramic Show, Pretoria (guest artist)
1998
Labia Museum Cape Town
S.A Embassy Residence Bonn , Germany
Marl Concert Hall , Germany
Exhibition Essen , Germany
Exhibition Siegen , Germany
Thyssen Forum Dusseldorf , Germany
Everard Reid Gallery and Launch of the book , Ardmore an African Discovery
1999
Labia, Muizenburg, Cape Town
Daimler Chrysler Exhibition Strutgardt, Germany
Standard Bank Prince Imperial Exhibition, JHB
Bordeaux St Gallery, Franshoek, Cape Town
2000
ABSA Bank, Johannesburg
2001
International Ceramics Festival, Wales
Hospice Exhibition, Johannesburg
S.A Embassy Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
2002
Charles Greig, Johannesburg
2003
Christies London Exhibition, Jan
2004
Christies London Auction, Jan
City Arts Council, Edinburgh , Scotland
Gallery on Square, Johannesburg , September
2005
Private Exhibition by S.A. High Commissioner's Residence High St, Kensington, London , June
Publications:
1998
Ardmore an African Discovery, Fernwood Press, Cape Town
