The Magic of Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden in Stellenbosch

Curious about what we hadn't discovered after more than 20 years in this wonderful city, we recently finally made an appointment at the Sculpture Garden of Dylan Lewis. We had heard of it, read about it, and once stood before closed doors. Now it was finally time. With no great expectations, we set off to be surprised. Before we even reached the entrance ticket office, we were already delighted by the gardeners' work and the immediately palpable artistically inspired atmosphere that Dylan Lewis has created on his several-hectare estate. Even on our way from the parking lot, passing the coffee shop housed in a lovingly restored farm building, which had exceptionally good coffee — which we found out a bit later — wonderful sculptures appeared throughout the landscape.

Before we even got to the ticket office, our excitement for the artist's work grew.

But who is he? A native South African, 60 years old — those are the facts, but what more? A specialized art house in London says:

"Dylan Lewis is Africa's most internationally renowned living figurative sculptor. Collectively, Lewis's bronze sculptures of big cats may provide the most powerful commentary on nature and wilderness made by an artist of this era. His cats are far more profound artwork than mere contemporary animal bronzes." In fact, they fully question the graceful, almost boneless elegance of these apex predators — creatures that bring palpable tension to any true wilderness simply by their presence.

After our visit, we can attest that this is no exaggeration. Before we left the charming historic reception building, which used to be his studio and bore the marks of last spring's torrential rains and the storm from the past weekend, we were spellbound. We had viewed a collection of casts made from a plaster-like material in the building's basement, which are the results of just one intermediary step on the way from the original model to the finished bronze sculpture. We had never experienced so much incredibly raw, beautiful art in such a small space.

Still enchanted by this magical room, we actually ran into Dylan Lewis himself as we left the building, instantly taking away the hope of ever owning one of these intermediary pieces; they are not for sale. Truly more than disappointing, as the finished work falls into a price range that is far outside our budget. He is indeed the only South African artist for whom Christies in London has held a solo auction, and not just once, but twice. The last event in 2018 was sold out.

Why that’s no surprise becomes evident on the more than hour-long stroll through the park's winding paths. Sadly artistically untalented ourselves, we were left without words to describe the sculptures and the accompanying garden design. So just this: We were deeply touched and awestruck by the talent and skill of this man.

It took us more than two hours to detach ourselves from the beauty and atmosphere of this place. For us, it now belongs to the list of magical spots in the Winelands that we are certain we won't see for the last time. Acknowledging that the perceived quality of art depends on the eye and mood of the beholder, we apologize to anyone who can't quite share our childlike enthusiasm during our visit. You’ll still have the opportunity to enjoy the truly excellent coffee.