EZEQUIEL MABOTE

(Ezequiel at work at the Mabote Art Shop at King Shaka Airport. On the wall behind him are images of schoolchildren inspired by his childhood)

Born in Mozambique in1979, Ezequiel Mabote moved to Durban South Africa in 1998, after his high school education. Following the batiks and sculptures background influenced by neighbours at the age of 12, he wanted to fulfil his dreams of being an artist.

Referring to his images of schoolchildren, he states “These artworks bring back my childhood memories, when we were young and restless, playing without limit and not knowing. The images above are oil pastel on paper - high quality paper and Jensen oil pastels. Collectors Art.

In South Africa, Ezequiel joined the residency artist programmes at the Bat Centre in 1999. At this well-known art centre in the city of Durban, he attended woodcut printmaking, oil pastel, acrylic, oil painting art classes and workshops.

Late in the year, Ezequiel had his first exhibition at the Bat Centre, hosted by Caroline Smart, editor of the Durban Arts Magazine who now runs the KZN arts website, artSMart. The exhibition gained him valuable exposure from the media.

"I remember this exhibition so well,” says Caroline Smart. “I was extremely impressed by the quality of the artwork as well as Ezequiel’s humility and devotion to his craft. Over the years, we became firm friends and I have watched his progress closely. I am the proud owner of several of his works. It’s always a pleasure to spot him at King Shaka Airport on my way to Johannesburg and can pop over to the attractive stand to have a chat to him in person.”

After his first successful exhibition, Ezequiel continued to work extensively, engaging and participating in many art workshops. Working with Malcolm Christian in 2001 in his studio at the Caversham Press in the KZN Midlands gave Ezequiel more ability and experience and more art techniques, such as silkscreen printing, linocut and woodcut printing, book binding, drawings and collage medium.

From 2002, Ezequiel started travelling to USA, to exhibit his artworks in various states and attended summer live drawing art classes at the Chicago university.

He facilitated woodcut printmaking classes at the BAT Centre, African Art Centre and the Durban University of Technology in 2004 and 2005.

Ezequiel specialises in printmaking, woodcut colour reduction, oil pastels, acrylic painting, oil painting, sculpture and murals. He has worked in many artwork events and projects at the Bat Centre, the Durban University of Technology, the Grosvenor Girls High, the Velobala Art Project, Nando’s art project in South Africa and Dubai 2007, workshop with graphic design students at the Bronx Community College in New York in 2010.

Art commissions with Malboro Cigarette 2006, Nando’s art commission 2007, book commission by Barry Unsworth’s book – Sacred Hunger, Sunshine Bakery Pietermaritzburg, KPMG in 2014, just to mention few.

His list of exhibitions is highly impressive and he achieved the 2001 Ithunga Fine Art Award Winner, for collaboration with six artists in 2001 Calendar.

This landscape scene (pictured right) was inspired by a long drive to Zululand (Jozini and Hluhluwe), during a short vacation. “The peace I enjoyed by looking at the Jozini Dam, the flat landscape of Hluhluwe, made me appreciate even more how beautiful is KwaZulu-Natal.”

Like so many people in the arts world, Ezequiel has battled since lockdown. “Covid-19 has affected me so bad, selling my artworks is the most precious moment, because I know I will be able to provide for my family,” he explains. “Art is the best thing I know and I have been doing since my childhood. And making a balanced living out of it. Not knowing that Covid-19 is to come. My art shop is at the King Shaka international airport, is open welcoming you to support also online store, www.maboteart.com, sales and free shipping.

Ezequiel’s artworks can be viewed at the Mabote Art Shop in the Departure section of King Shaka international Airport in King Shaka Drive, La Mercy, or visit his online store at www.maboteart.com

For more information contact Ezequiel on +27 76 111 0843 or email: artsmabote@yahoo.com