Notes

Janet Ranson is inspired by nature. She examines and observes the traditional attitudes and beliefs about land, plants and animals. Her current work explores and images the cosmologies of local sheep, duck, frogs, hoopoes and the vanished wildlife of the Agulhas Plain. The painterly nature of Ranson's canvases, with pigment, mark and found elements layered to create rich texture. She experiments with mixing various mediums including acrylic, collage, ink-and-wash, pastel, plus organic and industrial junk.

Living and working in the Overberg region, South Africa, Ranson has facilitated and participated in various workshops in South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Bulgaria, Taiwan and South Korea at the Yatoo Nature Art Residency where she developed works for her most recent solo exhibition Reality Check at AVA Gallery, Cape Town (2016). Since her move to the Overberg region in 2022, Ranson established community art classes for children and adults. Her works are in collections around the world.

At Nando's, we believe that creativity can change lives, which is why we invest in Southern African art and have been doing so since 2001. We know PERi-PERi chicken, and we've partnered with Spier Arts Trust because they know art. One of the art initiatives that Spier Arts Trust runs is Creative Block - colourful, contrasting and ever-evolving. The artworks created in this programme are known as Creative Blocks and many are available for sale to the public, presenting an affordable way to begin investing in contemporary Southern African art. Spier Arts Trust selects artists to join the programme. They are invited to interpret blocks of specific sizes in any way they choose, promoting fresh creative exploration among even the most established styles. Artists can use any medium and focus on any subject. Artists submit their artworks at regular intervals to Spier Arts Trust for feedback. The best blocks are curated and purchased. Some of these become part of the Nando's collection.

Every Block is unique and signed by the artist. While each Creative Block is an artwork on its own, we love seeing the impact when we display many blocks together in our restaurants, creating a larger group work of art. As Spier Arts Trust calls it, "a rich and striking expression of South African art". There are wonderful examples of Creative Block installations at Nando's Westfield Stratford and Nando's Birm Broad Street in the UK. In South Africa, some of our faves include Nando's Central Kitchen in Gauteng, Nando's Florida Road in KwaZulu-Natal, and Nando's Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. Some of the artists who take part in Creative Block go on to join Nando's artist development programmes, such as Nando's Creative Exchange. "I feel that the Creative Block is a trustworthy, flexible vehicle for elemental artists yearning for self-expression, participation and mutual aid", says Ricky Dyaloyi, who first became involved with Nando's through the programme and has since also taken part in the Nando's Artists Society and Chicken Run programmes (other programmes within the Nando's Art Initiative). Today, Ricky is represented by Everard Read in South Africa and in London.