Since 2022, Basa and the IDC have collaborated on initiatives designed to showcase emerging artists and bolster creative entrepreneurs. This ongoing partnership has led to impactful projects such as the IDC Emerging Artists Showcase. The partnership has been instrumental in anchoring the IDC Gallery as a vital space for promoting social and economic development through art, with a focus on youth, women, and people living with disabilities. These initiatives are further complemented by ongoing campaigns and activations that connect creatives to broader markets, ensuring sustained support for emerging talent in South Africa’s vibrant arts sector. The latest collaboration features the poignant work of self-taught artist and illustrator Audrey Lisik. Her collection, divided into two thematic series – ‘Scene’ and ‘People’ – captures the duality of the lockdown experience for artists, balancing their fears with enduring hope and creative spirit.
The Scene series explores the tools, environments, and elements central to various artistic disciplines, using scale to emphasise the anxiety and isolation felt by artists during lockdown. In contrast, the People series offers an intimate view, portraying artists in their homes with their families, pets, and crafts, exuding optimism, resilience, and the enduring spirit of creativity.
Reflecting on her collaboration with Basa, Audrey Lisik shared: “Basa has celebrated my voice as an artist and profoundly enriched my creative journey. They have given me the freedom to express and explore, allowing me to dive into the deeper sentiments that shape my work. I am deeply grateful to Basa for encouraging me, and artists like me, to uncover greater purpose and meaning within our craft.”
The ‘Moments in Miniature’ exhibition is one of many projects showcasing the successful partnership between Basa and the IDC. Previous exhibitions like ‘Nexus in Nature’ and ‘Different Pathways’ have also highlighted the diverse talents of South African artists, aligning with Basa’s strategy to support and expand opportunities for creatives within the industry.
About Audrey Lisik
Audrey Lisik, a self-taught and self-inspired artist and illustrator, immerses herself in stories, connections, and nature. For her, the essence of being an artist lies in creating joy and identifying moments of escape and peace for her audience. Through this exhibition, Audrey captures the duality of the lockdown experience for artists, balancing their fears with their enduring hope and creative spirit.
About Basa
Basa was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative between government and the private sector, as part of a strategy to secure greater involvement in the arts from businesses operating in South Africa. Established as a Section 21 company, Basa is constituted in terms of the Companies Act, and is registered as a public benefit organisation. Its delisting as a Schedule 3 entity has seen Business and Arts South Africa NPC register for VAT. Basa is accountable to its stakeholders – the government, Basa members and the creative sector.
About the IDC
The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is a national development finance institution. South Africa’s largest development finance institution established to build industrial capacity to fuel the country’s economic growth, by funding viable businesses, focuses on priority economic sectors that offer the greatest potential to unlock job opportunities. Through its commitment to social-economic development under the Corporate Social Investment unit, the IDC supports the IDC gallery and initiatives that foster creativity, entrepreneurship, and the empowerment of marginalised communities within the creative sector.
