Purple Rabbit

Notes

The School of Nel emerged by chance, through an entirely organic process in which artists informally began to visit renowned ceramicist Hylton Nel's studio and pick up pieces of clay to experiment with.¹ Nel soon became an unofficial mentor to the new Calitzdorp-based ceramics collective, The School of Nel, whose main members include Imeldo 'Melvin' Wegenaar, Hannes 'Basie' Gerhardus, Jacobus Frans, Mexicano Da Pointer and Reuben Manuel. Through their experimentation, each member of the collective has developed a distinctive style that still contains echoes of their teachers.

^1. Julia Freemantle (2021) Wanted Online, Renowned artist-potter Hylton Nel is incubating a new generation of talent, online, accessed 27 May 2026.