Pretoria - June 2021

Visiting info:
The Javett Art Centre at the University
of Pretoria is open Tuesday to Sunday
from 10am to 5pm. Entrance is R150
for adults, R50 for children, R70 for
pensioners and free for all South
African university students (with a
valid student card). Guided tours are
available, but must be booked at
least 48 hours in advance. They have
various free entrance days, the next
being June 16. South Campus, 23
Lynnwood Road, Hatfield.
Details: 012-420-3960, javettup.art
The etching Word Woes (2014) also
inspired a letter brick wall.
by feeling its form, explain the concept it
interprets for you. On the lid of each box,
the definition of the word is presented
in Braille. For the blind guide, the rows of
back boxes are like an open book.’
With the combined wealth of experience
of curator Helene Smuts and Willem, Word
Woes is, quite simply, a must experience.
The title, taken from a signature work by Willem, is
understood in English and Afrikaans. In either language,
the two words look identical, but their meanings differ
sharply. ‘In English, it means issues of language, or the
same words in Afrikaans could encourage you to take a
chance … to be a little wild!’
An enormous brick wall built of letter bricks that spells
out hundreds of words spelt identically in English
and Afrikaans, but which have completely different
meanings, encouraged this exhibition and it portrays five
decades of work.
‘The original etching, through which I developed this
idea, is on display and all these are everyday words, which
become very entertaining when you realise how relative
their meanings are.
‘As part of the education programme around the
exhibition, we will also be developing crossword puzzles
for parents and children to complete together as they
move through the exhibition. The answers to clues are
hidden in the artworks themselves!’
So … who is the man behind the art? ‘A plant lover who
spends most of my free time reading books and listening
to music. I love my collection of potted plants and
nothing excites me more than working with them and
classifying them by their botanical names.’
Yet, his love for arts can simply not be tamed as all his
hobbies form part of his ‘interdisciplinary research and
art-making.’ An antiquarian is he indeed. ‘Actually, I
The Blind Alphabet (1991 and ongoing). Inside the lidded boxes are
wooden sculptures, each a three-dimensional depiction of a particular
word from the Oxford English Dictionary.
have a very large collection of rare objects, such as antique
tools used for a wide range of purposes … from carpentry,
medicine, dentistry and even including divination practices
all over the world. I love all these possessions, along with my
collection of books and music.’
Don’t for one moment think Willem is sitting still. He is already
busy developing new art for both local and international
exhibitions. We cannot wait to see what is next!
In the meantime, if you’re a lover of language, inspired by
art or even someone who just merely wants to explore
the absurd meaning of words and have fun, then this
exhibition is just for you! It’s at the Javett Art Centre and
will run until January 2022.
Details: willemboshoff.com, javettup.art, connect@javettup.art
Willem & fatherhood:
How to be the best father for your children? To love and
be there for them and to allow them to be themselves.
How do you manage to balance fatherhood and being
an artist? My two worlds go hand in hand! I have four
children, ranging in ages from 24 to 40. Although I never
really encouraged them to do so, they have all developed
careers related to the arts. Very often they have participated
in the making and exhibiting of my work.
What has your father taught you? My father was a
carpenter. I learnt a lot of my skills from him! And my son
Martin has inherited these skills of working with his hands.
June 21 Get It Magazine 11