Curiouser and curiouser! Hefty artworks stolen from exhibition

Heavy sculptures worth more than R20,000 have been stolen from the Curious Creatures exhibition at Rust-en-Vrede art gallery and clay museum in Durbanville, Cape Town.

The exhibition runs concurrently with the Ceramics SA national exhibition.

Artist Delise Reich said on Thursday that her "Mad Hatter" sculpture and the "Cheshire Meerkat" sculpture that she worked on with Mary Simons were stolen at the weekend.

The sculptures were part of the "Tea with Alice in Africa" installation.

"These sculptures were stolen from the garden at the exhibition. They were taken over the weekend when the place is locked up. They must have lifted it over the fence, it is still a mystery to us," said Reich.

The "Mad Hatter" sculpture weighed about 30kg.

She said the "Cheshire Meerkat" was on sale for R5,000 and "Mad Hatter" for R18,000.

Reich said she had put a lot of effort into her art.

"People have no right to steal art like that, specifically my art. When you make a ceramic sculpture it is a very slow process that you need to work on for weeks."

 A staff member at the Rust-en-Vrede gallery said the sculptures were stolen on Sunday.

"We are shocked. It is the first time something like this has happened at the gallery."

The exhibition is still on.

A case of theft had been opened.