(Work by Welcome Danca)
The African
Art Centre is hosting the Uvo Lwamaciko
Ethu Exhibition (Expression of our Creatives) in commemoration of South
Africa’s National Heritage Day.
Observed
annually on September 24, this public holiday encourages South Africans to
celebrate their cultures, diversity of beliefs and traditions and to embrace South
Africa’s multicultural society. The group of 10 exhibition participants is
comprised of both emerging and established artists and crafters who have
visually interpreted and celebrated Heritage day through a collection of two
and three dimensional works.
The
participant exhibitors are: Welcome Danca (painting on canvas), Zakhele Hlabisa
(painting on canvas), Jabulani Cele (painting
on canvas), Sabastien Pillay (pen and
ink on paper), Lindelani Ngwenya (softwire sculpture), Innocent Hlela (hardwire
sculpture), Bhekinkosi Gumbi (wood sculpture), Angeline Masuku (Ilala basketry), Lobolile Ximba (beaded
sculptural dolls) and Xolile Ndlovu (embroidered textiles).
“The
various forms of art are indicative of our culture,” says a representative of
the African Art Centre. “Many of these
traditions have been passed down from one generation to the next. The Centre has over the past 55 years not
just fostered the development of our local traditional art forms but has also promoted
the production of it. The value of indigenous craft is celebrated on a daily
basis when someone purchases a piece of art or an international visitor
recognises the mastery and beauty created by local hands. This exhibition
provides a shared platform for artists and crafters to showcase traditional and
modern contemporary visual art and craft trends. By presenting multiple genres of
visual work, the Centre is celebrating the multiple creative voices of our
artists and crafters and is encouraging preservation of our heritage.”
Lobolile Ximba
(1953) is a household name in the beaded doll making tradition of KwaZulu-Natal; she
is a master doll maker who has passed her skills to numerous doll beaders. Her
sculptural dolls are clothed in bright beaded regalia; each outfit signifies
either a young girl, unmarried woman or a married woman. Lobolile’s mastery of
the doll making tradition is clearly depicted by her almost lifesize 1 metre
high doll sculpture clad in colourful beadwork, isidwaba skirt and an adorable pair of canvas takkies.
Bhekinkosi Gumbi
(1971) is a skilled self-taught wood-carving artist from
Nongoma, in northern KwaZulu-Natal. His painted sculptures are carved out of Umganu wood and he enjoys making
figurines of political figures, celebrities, musicians and sports
personalities. The most intriguing element on his work is his ability to
capture striking realistic appearances combined with caricatured facial
features and an expression of emotion and personality through gestures.
Welcome Danca
(1978) grew up in Port Shepstone but currently lives in
Durban. His artistic talent was spotted while in high school where he sketched
in pencil and charcoal and when the late renowned artist, Trevor Makhoba took
the young artist under his wing and mentored him. Welcome paints in oil and
acrylic paint on canvas where he explores personal memories and everyday life
scenes. This artist has lately been producing oil paintings executed in rich
painterly marks in a semi-abstract technique through which he makes commentary
on social issues.
Lindelani Ngwenya (1975) learnt wood-carving and drawing skills at the
age of 10, by watching his father who was a wood-carver. This artist has worked
in etching and lithograph mediums as well but has become widely known for his
woven copper wire sculptures. He created a unique wire-weaving technique by
meticulously plaiting two pieces of copper wire into a long strip which is
thereafter woven into three-dimensional shapes. His current work is woven in
the same technique but in colourful telephone wire instead. His netted
telephone wire figurines often portray individuals in expressive poses such as
singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments.
Angeline Masuku (1967) is a widely respected master Ilala weaver in
and outside South Africa. She learnt the grass weaving method from her aunt,
Khawulina Gcwensa; by 1984 Angeline was already designing her own Ilala woven
baskets. Angeline is known for producing cylindrical shaped Ilala grass baskets
depicting geometric and figurative patterns.
What has set this crafter apart was her ability to master the
traditional Ilala weaving technique and being able to skilfully transform her
products into contemporary vessels which are sought after by public and private
collectors and interior decorators.
Xolile Ndlovu (1981) grew up in eMzinyathi Area and currently lives
with her son in Richmond Farm also located outside Durban. Xolile was part of
an African Art Centre embroidery skills development project called ‘Ntokozo’
group where a group of women narrated colourful stories on embroidered
textiles. In this project the participating women were taught new skills of embroidery,
beading and appliqué; this group produced the beaded South African flags which
now hang at the Constitutional Court of South Africa and the Moses Mabhida
Stadium in Durban. Xolile became an outstanding member of the group as she
continued to transpose everyday life scenes and historical symbols onto
embroidered textile wall hangings. Her work has become a powerful tool of
sharing personal stories with the public, her textiles are collected and
treasured not only by local clientele but also by an increasing number of
international art lovers.
Innocent Hlela (1971) currently lives in Ntuzuma Township outside
Durban; he has been part of the Durban art scene for a number of years. He
recalls his artistic journey to have begun at the age of 11 when he produced
toy cars from salvaged
wooden tomato crates and selling them to people in his community. In the early 1990s, he joined the
Velobala Art Group, an African Art Centre outreach project where he was
recognised as one of the highest achieving students. This self-motivated artist
is highly expressive in mosaic, sculpture and telephone wire, more recently
specialising in 3-dimensional telephone wire figurines neatly woven in the
hardwire weaving technique.
Jabulani Cele (1981) is an
emerging artist residing in Inanda Township outside Durban. He mainly works in
oil and acrylic on canvas and his subject matter is concerned with his
surroundings and township lifestyles.
Zakhele Hlabisa (1987) is from Mtubatuba area in KwaZulu-Natal. He describes himself as a
natural born conceptual artist when it comes to portraiture. He initially
participated in the iSimangaliso art programme and later joined the Velobala
Saturday Art Classes conducted by the African Art Centre. This artist works in
many mediums but is commonly known for his acrylic paintings executed in an
almost realistic technique. His work depicts ordinary individuals engaging in
mundane but emotion-provoking situations.
Sabastien Pillay (1995) is the youngest participant in the group;
this will be the third time that he showcases work at the African Art Centre.
Sabastien has worked in his unique signature style of detailed pen and ink
drawings on paper. His almost illustrative works challenge traditional
composition principles and bring an exciting fresh contemporary twist to the
exhibition.
The African
Art Centre is situated at 94 Florida Road, Morningside. More information on 031
312 3804/5 or email africanartcentre@afri-art.co.za or visit www.afriart.co.za
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