Making Heritage

Pierre le Riche’s new body of work Portable Heritage/Swerfgoed questions his own Afrikaner identity and how he understands the concept of home

- Alix-Rose Cowie

When South African fine artist Pierre le Riche embarks on a new project, he takes time to learn an unfamiliar handicraft. For his latest offering, Portable Heritage/Swerfgoed: Perspectives on White Mobility in Post-apartheid South Africa, it’s the practice of wood turning. ‘I’m always excited to employ crafts in conjunction with fine art techniques,’ he says. ‘The marriage of these methods can yield interesting results.’ It also brings to the fore the question of what defines craft versus fine art, a debate Le Riche finds particularly intriguing. Once he gets to grips with a new skill, he starts creating in his Woodstock studio in Cape Town. Any flops are preserved, an exercise that’s a crucial part of his work. Le Riche considers the process of wrestling with the medium just as important as the final product.