There’s something truly magical about seeing sculpture come alive in the landscape. As an artist, I’ve always believed that bronze carries a certain breath—something elemental, ancient, and powerful. And when those forms are placed in nature, surrounded by rustling leaves and shifting light, they seem to exhale their own stories.
Recently, I had the privilege of contributing one of my own pieces to the evolving collection at Brahman Hills in the Midlands—a sanctuary where art meets earth in the most poetic way.
“Leda and the Signet”, my bronze sculpture inspired by Greek mythology, now rests quietly among the trees, where she nurtures the young swan—a symbol of mystery, femininity, and transformation. The myth is well-known, but I chose to focus on the intimacy of the moment, the gentle bond between woman and creature, and the unknown that such tenderness can lead us toward.
As someone who has spent decades exploring the female form and the anatomy of emotion, this piece is close to my heart. It’s less about mythology and more about the quiet strength of femininity—something I’ve chased in my drawings, my paintings, and now, with passion, in bronze.
But what moved me most about this exhibition wasn’t only seeing my work rooted in the soil—it was witnessing the stories told by fellow South African artists:
- Sandro Trapani’s “Hanneke”, rising from the earth like a goddess of roots and rain, made me pause and reflect on our connection to the land. His “Medusa” dares us to face the complexity within ourselves. Sandro’s work always carries a kind of tension—between thought and emotion, history and myth.
- Ben Tuge’s “Strike a Woman” stopped me in my tracks. There’s such reverence and fire in his celebration of African women’s power—an ancestral strength that radiates from his figures.
- And then there’s Louis van den Heever, whose “Stargazer” captures the wide-eyed awe of childhood, and whose monumental “Giant” quite literally anchors dreams in stone and steel. His work reminds me to never lose that spark of wonder.
Being part of this living exhibition—where art whispers to the wind and mirrors the hills—has filled me with gratitude and inspiration. It’s a reminder of how art doesn’t need walls or spotlights. Sometimes, it just needs space to breathe.
To the curators, fellow artists, and everyone who walks through the gardens and lingers before each sculpture—thank you for making space for stories to take root.
With warmth and creative fire,
Joyce Carreira
Bronze Sculptor, Visual Artist, Lover of Form and Myth
Instagram: @joycecarreiraart