Kgotso Pati is the only known and established black South African glassblowing artist. His glass sculptures incorporate design, craft and visual arts. Pati has been identified and acknowledged by the arts industry, interior designers and hotel owners as a producer of versatile and uniquely South African sculptures influenced by traditional South African beadwork.

Pati held his solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum in 2017 and has participated in a number of group exhibitions. Added to this, Pati has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Gauteng Premier’s Excellence Award (2018), the Thami Mnyele Award (2016) and was selected as a finalist of the ABSA Art Competition (2012). Pati was selected by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) to exhibit his sculptures at the New York Now Exhibition, 2019. This exhibition took place from the 3rd February to the 5th February 2019 in New York City. SEDA has in this regard provided Pati, together with the other artists selected with accommodation, travel expenses and exhibition costs. The costs not included in SEDA’s sponsorship were requested from the NAC; Pati exhibited under the Exhibition’s Handmade Collection; this collection is dedicated to authentic and eco-friendly designs which are “the industry’s hallmark of design and craftsmanship across all media”.

Recommendations to fund Pati were received from the Panel of Chairpersons Committee, which stated that Pati “is an artistically strong artists, who creates artistic designs which are African-inspired glass objects and sculptures”. Added to this, the panel emphasised the fact that “Pati’s work is of a high professional standard and it is encouraging that the art of glass making from SA is being showcased and promoted at an international exhibition”. Pati was funded R44 621.60 towards his visa and travel costs, subsistence, marketing costs, packaging and shipping costs.

This project was funded in line with the Arts Platforms/ Showcases/ Exhibitions and Festivals programme. With the NAC’s goals of creating a vibrant, inclusive and transformed arts and culture sector, to achieve global recognition for our unique South African arts and culture and to achieve increased access to markets and enable creative engagement for South African arts and artists; as well as developing a sustainable capacity that enables the arts to entertain, enrich and inspire.