(Pic: “Blue Doors”- oil on canvas by Makiwa Mutomba)Miniatures in oil by Makiwa Mutomba at KZNSA Gallery.
The solo exhibition Andhra Pradesh by acclaimed Pretoria-based artist Makiwa Mutomba is inspired by his recent cultural exchange visit to Hyderabad, a city in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India. Mutomba’s exhibition consists of small to miniature oil paintings in his signature palette-knife style. He notes that, “As an artist, I seek colour in everything I see and so, upon my arrival in India, I was immediately drawn to the colours of the place … It is an artist’s paradise, the colours of the saris and the painted dwellings, the Rangoli (floor painting using either sand, flowers or rice) … Colour is certainly very important to the Indians – I was fascinated to learn that there is even a Festival of Colours.”
Mutomba will exhibit over 50 miniature paintings ranging in size from 5x5cm to 20x20cm. They offer an exciting glimpse of India as seen through the artist’s eyes, from the Chowmahalla Palace, where the artist was hosted (in close proximity to the Charminar), to the ancient fort of Golconda, and from the sari-clad women to the mystical-looking grey-bearded old men, the ox-drawn carts, the elephant-men, the school children sitting on painted verandas… This is certainly a must see for all art lovers.
Andhra Pradesh is Mutomba’s second solo exhibition at the KZNSA gallery, and his first miniature exhibition in South Africa. A recent award-winner at the Societe Nationale Des Beaux Arts Salon in Paris, the exceptionally talented Zimbabwean-born artist has had more than eight solo exhibitions since coming to South Africa 10 years ago.
Andhra Pradesh runs at the KZNSA from October 12 at 18h00 to October 31. The KZNSA Gallery is situated at 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, in Durban. More information on 031 277 1703, fax 031 201 8051 or cell 082 220 0368 or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za