(Work by Isaac
Sithole)
The Bat Centre trust is a private trust dedicated to impacting on the
cultural life of South Africa by nurturing and promoting the vibrant music,
arts, theatre, craft, film and literature of KwaZulu-Natal. In so doing, the
Bat Centre aims to generate work for artists, build new markets for domestic
and international tourists to Durban and its innovative and exciting facility situated
in the Durban Harbour.
The Bat Centre is celebrating the life and success of the late Ezequiel
Moiane (1974-2012) famously known as Isaac Sithole by hosting a traveling
retrospective exhibition featuring a special collection of Sithole's work.
Born and raised in Maputo, Mozambique, Isaac was introduced to the
traditional technique of woodcarving by friends in his neighbourhood when he was
12 years old. In 1990, at the age of 16, he moved to South Africa with a
friend. Shortly after moving to Durban, he joined the Bat Centre where he
worked as a professional, full-time woodcarver getting exposed to the technique
of woodcut printing.
Sithole's work is filled with glowing and vibrant colour combinations
depending daily scenes and cultural activities within Mozambique and South
African villages. He was inspired by the beauty in the ordinary, to transform
the spirit of the living into art.
The planned exhibition commemorates Sithole's legacy of hard-work and
self- sustainability in the local art industry and communities. The exhibition was
launched at the BAT Centre in February 2018.
For more information, contact the BAT Centre on 031 332 0451