In 1986 Bheki Myeni was chosen to represent South Africa at the Seventh Valparaiso Biennial in Chile. His selection, together with two other South African artists, was done by the South African Association of Arts, of which Dr Sylvia Kaplan - a director of the African Art Centre - was national president.

Myeni was invited to attend the opening of the exhibition, and the Art Centre helped him in a variety of ways regarding the trip. He was a country carver whose experience of the art world had not at the time expanded much beyond Empangeni and the African Art Centre.

The Myeni carvings selected for the exhibition were representative of his 'bees' period, and he won the sculpture award. His work, which is completely non-derivative, would have been quite unique on the exhibition. Several pieces were bought by the Durban Art Gallery prior to their dispatch to Chile.