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Sunday, May 9, 2010

JANNIE VAN HEERDEN & ZOLANI MPENTE

(Pic: "Blaze" by Jannie van Heerden)

African Arts Centre hosts paintings by Jannie van Heerden and sculptures by Zolani Mpente.

An exhibition of oil paintings by Jannie van Heerden and wood sculptures by Zolani Mpente will run at the African Art Centre from May 12.

The paintings focus on the landscape of Msinga, a largely rural area located in the deep gorges of the Tugela and Buffalo Rivers in KwaZulu-Natal. Using a deliberate expressionistic style, van Heerden manipulates medium and brush to capture the rugged beauty of the landscape. “The Karoo has for many years been my source of inspiration as it is unspoilt and primordial,” he explains. “For the present exhibition, I have used the Msinga area of KZN as my subject matter as it contains the same strong shapes and distorted landscape ravaged by drought and further destroyed by overgrazing; trees and plants become metaphors for life. They are set off against weathered and fantastical rock forms.”

Jannie van Heerden is no stranger to the African Art Centre. Since 1990, he has worked tirelessly in the promotion and development of art and craft in KZN. He has curated numerous exhibitions and is co-author of Amagugu KwaZulu – Zulu Treasures catalogue. In 2009, he published Zulu Basketry, a definitive guide to contemporary basket weaving from the Hlabisa area of KwaZulu Natal. He holds a Masters degree in Fine Art and a Diploma in Education and until recently, he was the Deputy Chief Education Specialist for the KZN Education Department where he was employed as head of Visual Arts and Design. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions and had his first solo exhibition in Cape Town in 1973.

Zolani Mpente is a full-time artist who resides near Port St Johns in the deep rural Dedeni area. He started carving whilst still at school and very soon developed a passion for the medium of wood. As a youngster, he started carving sculptures of domestic animals. When he was completing Grade eleven his father passed away and he had to find a way of making money to support his younger siblings. He very soon mastered the technique of wood carving and started producing, scenes of rural stock farming, Nguni Cattle and milking sets.

Zolani was greatly inspired and mentored by his brother in law, the late Julius Mfethe. His preferred medium is Umgubhe, Umsimbithi, Umthunzi and Masethole wood which he combines to achieve various textures and tones in wood. He hopes that his alliance with the African Art Centre will assist him in improving his capacity as an artist in order for him to incur a sustainable income to support his family and eventually build a studio from which he can work.

The exhibition will be opened at the African Art Centre on May 12 at 17h30 by Daryl Houghton after which it will run until May 28. The African Art Centre is situated at 94 Florida Road, Morningside. More information from the Director, Sharon Crampton on 031 312 3805 or email africanartcentre@afri-art.co.za