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Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize 2020
BNAP 2020 EXHIBITION & ONLINE AUCTION Johannesburg 14 to 24 September 2020
ONL INE AUC TI O N
Friday 11 to Thursday 24 September 2020 V IE W ING L OCATI O N
Illovo Edge – Building 3 | Ground Floor | 5 Harries Road | Illovo V IE W ING B Y A PPO I N TM EN T
Monday 14 to Thursday 24 September 2020 | 10 am – 4 pm GE NE R AL E NQ U I R I ES
JHB | enquiries@aspireart.net | +27 11 243 5243
WITH T HANKS TO OU R SPON S OR S
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CON TE N T S
Auction Information v Curatorial Statement ix Notes from the Sponsors xi Online Bidding Guide xiii Lots 1 to 27
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Artist Index 56
Details used in prelim pages from: COVER
Lot 10 Blessing Ngobeni Walking Virus PAGE II
Lot 5 Nkhensani Rihlampfu VaKokwani (Grandpa) PAGE IV
Lot 2 Sifiso Mkhabela Fading Father Figure PAGE VI
Lot 15 Cromwell Ngobeni Where Can I Help? PAGE VIII
Lot 1 Zwelethu Machepha Untitled, diptych PAGE X
Lot 10 Teresa Firmino Museum of the Dead 2 PAGE XII
Lot 4 Jan Tshikhutula Distance, diptych PAGE XIV
Lot 9 Vusi Beauchamp Unkwon
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CURAT ORIA L STATEMENT
The Politics of the Now ‘Politics’ stretch over time and are not fixed to the past, present or future; indeed, they unsettle typical understandings of time as we know it. This exhibition speaks to the politics of yesteryear: how they intrude into the present (or “now”) and how they shape and inform the future now. The politics thematised in this exhibition are threaded through the works of a cohort of young artists; these works deal with a set of political questions that invite critical reflection on the disparate yet related issues that define our contemporary world. When, for instance, one thinks of a movement such as #BlackLivesMatter, Vusi Beauchamp’s explorations of racial tensions, seen through his Jim Crow imagery, come into sharp focus. Yet this is but one example, which nonetheless prompts questions around how we read “the politics of now” in these curated works and what this “now” informs us about the past and the future? The “now” becomes a conceptual axis of a kind, which invites us to go backwards and forwards and reflect, at once, on our states of existence. Thus, the narratives in each of these artworks are more than visual reflections that appease our aesthetic appetites, they are, after all, loaded with messages that spread through times and allow us to reflect on how we inhabit the world. Tlotlo Lobelo
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N OTE S FRO M THE SPONSO R S
The Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize is an award that is aimed at assisting young and emerging visual artists to launch their careers in the art industry. The award acknowledges excellence in emerging artists (under 35) specializing in sculpture, drawing and painting, or mixed media and provides an opportunity to showcase their talents to a broader audience. The Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize provides the nominated artist with a twelve-week studio residency and solo exhibition at the Everard Read Gallery Johannesburg. The artist will also be provided with a studio at Ellis House. Various artists have been invited to donate artworks to the Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize to raise funds for the BNAP 2021 winner. The artists participating in the exhibition have donated 50% of their sales to BNAP. BNAP
Paying it Forward At Aspire we strongly believe in the power of art to change lives. This belief cannot be more convincingly demonstrated than in the example of Blessing Ngobeni – one of the most successful artists of his generation, an industry-leader and a role-model to generations of artists, younger and older. At the heart of all of this is art – the single thing that changed the course of his life, set him on a path of success and prosperity and saved him from the doldrums of crime and poverty. The Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize is an award driven by an artist who cares about his fellow artists. We admire this compassion and generosity and share the ethos wholeheartedly. Blessing is a success story who is paying it forward and supporting the career development of fellow artists. The core values of inclusivity and sustainability are central to Aspire. We recognise the value and importance of supporting artists early in their careers – in assisting the sustainable development of the profession, in keeping young artists from Africa producing art and constantly raising the standards of quality and the role of contemporary art from this continent in the art world today. Developing interest and growing the appetite for contemporary art production is paramount. This is an early introduction to the stars of tomorrow, and we stand by the generation of artists that have become the voice and visuals of a new South Africa. As with many things, you saw it first at Aspire. Ruarc Peffers
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ON LIN E BIDD ING GU IDE HOW TO REGISTER ONLINE: Visit the Aspire bidding platform at www.auctions.aspireart.net or simply register via the app which is available as a free download through The App Store and Google Play. To register as a first time user: Enter the required personal details (name, email address, mobile number, physical address and password). Click REGISTER. For returning users: Enter your email address and password and select LOGIN. When you are ready to place a bid click on REGISTER TO BID and complete the required fields. You will immediately receive an email alerting you of your status as a bidder in the auction.
FUNCTIONS You can add items to your WATCHED LOTS by clicking the star icon or FAVOURITE ARTISTS by clicking FOLLOW.
PLACING YOUR BID You can manually place bids through our website or via our app, or you can enter a commission bid and the system will automatically bid on your behalf up to your maximum amount, but only if someone bids against you. If you are outbid instantly this implies there is a higher maximum bid from another bidder, in this case there will not be an email or push notification. You will only be notified via email or push notification when your maximum bid has been surpassed by another bidder, we advise that you monitor your maximum bids to view the CURRENT BID price. When you are logged in, if you are the highest bidder on a lot, you will see WINNING below that lot, along with the current price. If you have been outbid, you will see OUTBID, along with the current price. If you are outbid you will receive an email or push notification letting you know that you have been outbid and inviting you to bid again. If two bidders leave the same maximum bid and that increment wins the lot, the bidder who placed their bid first will win the lot. As the lots are sold, the platform will reflect WON, along with the PURCHASED FOR price if you were the highest bidder and successful buyer. The platform will reflect LOST, along with the SOLD FOR price if you were ultimately outbid. Due to the technological nature of any online bidding environment, such an environment might be subject to related latencies or errors with regards to any form of data transfer. Accordingly, Aspire is hereby exempt from any liabilities resulting from such latencies or errors.
COMMISSION There will be no buyer’s commission for works sold in this auction.
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BLESSING NGOBENI ART PRIZE 2020
01 Zwelethu Machepha b.1990 South Africa
e’mjondolo i and ii, diptych 2020 acrylic, fine liner pen, watercolour, embroidery on paper 71 x 50 cm each
ZAR 16 000 – 24 000
PLACE BID
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Zwelethu Machepha comes from a family of creatives who have excelled in the arts from music to graphic design. So it is not surprising that he grew up with a passion for the arts. While he trained as a printmaker, he is adept in many media from pen and ink to embroidery. As a master draughtsman, he is able to capture sensitive portraits with an economy of means. He became an artist because of his conviction that art can transform society. In Untitled Diptych he explores the capacity of recyclers to convert discarded objects into useful items. As a pair, we see one advancing with his black bag while the other’s bags are transformed into rainbow colours. Through Machepha’s vision and exquisite patterning they resemble butterflies whose transformative nature actively contributes to the sustainability of our precious planet.
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02 Sifiso Mkhabela b.1991 South Africa
Fading Father Figure 2020 painted steel 105 x 52 x 52 cm
ZAR 5 000 – 7 000
PLACE BID
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Born in Nelspruit in 1991, Sifiso Mkhabela, as a child, made wire cars with such skill and imagination that they could be remotely controlled. Inspired by his father, a boilermaker, he wanted to explore the elements of metal and fire as processes of rebirth and re-creation. His BTech degree obtained at the University of Tshwane allowed him to refine his ideas and skills. Working with artists of the caliber of Blessing Ngobeni and Angus Taylor gave him the experience and confidence to explore his own ideas further. This painted steel construction embodies the strength and skills of his father while its elegant, open form of interconnected lines and shapes suggests the strong ties that bind us to family and community.
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03 Tatenda Chidora b.1988 Zimbabwe
Metamorphosis II 2020 archival pigment inks on 308gm Hahnemühle PhotoRag image size: 82 x 82 cm
ZAR 10 000 – 15 000
PLACE BID
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Born in Zimbabwe and based in South Africa, Tatenda Chidora is a commercial, fine art and fashion photographer. He studied photography at the Tshwane University of Technology where he completed his BTech in 2015. Inspired by the stories and faces of the African metropolis, he’s driven to create a more diverse picture. His striking visuals, often shot from new and unexpected angles, make heroes of his subjects. As a marathon runner, he studies light from the road in the early mornings and evenings and is moved by the way it cuts curves into a face or a landscape. In turn he commands natural light or studio lighting to capture luminous black skin with a richness of tone. In this imaginative conception, the male torso is presented as powerful while the masked head suggests that a man may also be guarded and vulnerable.
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04 Jan Tshikhutula b.1983 South Africa
Distance, diptych 2020 pastel on paper each signed and dated bottom right 100 x 149 cm each
ZAR 80 000 – 100 000
PLACE BID
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Born in Tzaneen, Limpopo, Jan Tshikhuthula received his initial art training under Avhashoni Mainganye before moving to Johannesburg where he graduated in printmaking at Newtown’s Artist Proof Studios. He has collaborated with William Kentridge and has work in the Rand Merchant Bank collection. Tshikhuthula’s recent works employ charcoal and warm pastels to capture landscapes of memory and emotion. His diptych, Distance, pays homage to his grandfather, who worked on the industrial water systems in the area, by featuring watermills and technical equipment that contrast strikingly with the open areas and moods of the surrounding Venda region. But, more significantly, these are landscapes of aspiration capturing the archetypal South African story of the move from agrarian settlement to the urban environment in search of work and better lives.
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Nkhensani Rihlampfu is a rising star whose first solo show, entitled Cognition, was held in March 2019 at M Studio Community. In July of that year his The Land Intercessors was installed throughout RMB Turbine Art Fair, and in October he was announced as one of the 2019 Absa L’Atelier winners. One of his unique rope and wood sculptures was cast in bronze for installation at Absa Towers in Johannesburg.
05 Nkhensani Rihlampfu b.1988 South Africa
VaKokwani (Grandpa) 2020 Calico rope, wood and steel signed and dated 69 x 19 x 30 cm
ZAR 35 000 – 45 000
PLACE BID
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VaKokwani (Grandpa) is both a tribute to his grandfather and, more broadly, his (familial and artistic) ancestors who have gone before him and showed the way forward. While the head is made from an astonishingly powerful piece of found wood, the body constructed from rope shows the muscles and sinews that provide the strength to advance.
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When asked to produce the cover of TIME magazine’s 2019 Optimists issue, Nelson Makamo knew immediately that he wanted to create a simple image of a child, “something everyone can relate to”. This portrait of a vulnerable child is inscribed with a significant statement encouraging youth to be proud of who they are and to celebrate their creativity. Makamo’s works are in the collections of Oprah Winfrey, Annie Lennox and Giorgio Armani, amongst others.
06 Nelson Makamo b.1982 South Africa
We are creators, we don’t go beggn for placement where are not wanted (sic) 2020 watercolour and fineliner pen on paper signed and dated bottom right 30 x 21 cm
ZAR 30 000 – 50 000
PLACE BID
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Artist Statement In my work, I reflect on the movement of culture amongst the youth living in rural South Africa and its cities. My observation is that there is an exchange between people where we adopt each other’s cultures that are relevant to our respective ages. I am greatly fascinated by this, and how we in turn manage our identity with different personas. Therefore, my work aims to show that we are always changing and moving in a path of self discovery. My work does not represent a certain group of people, it moves across cultures and generations.
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Azael Langa studied painting and sculpture at Tshwane University of Technology. His first solo exhibition entitled Overlooked: Shadows of the Economy addressed socio-political issues by exploring the everyday lives of the people he encountered in his daily journeys. Through his sensitive and thoughtful engagements with fellow human beings he tries to feel their energies, the better to speak for the voiceless. A visionary, he is committed to sharing his skills and empowering young artists to find recognition through their work.
07 Azael Langa b.1988 South Africa
Carrying My Pride 2020 ink and smoke on canvas signed bottom right; inscribed with the title mid-centre 75 x 48 cm
ZAR 20 000 – 25 000
PLACE BID
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Carrying My Pride utilises the volatile mediums of ink and smoke on canvas to depict the difficult experiences of women. Nevertheless, this woman, rendered in ochre, burnt sienna, umber and charcoal – the colours of earth and fire – walks with pride. Balanced on her head is a house in shades of blue – the colour often associated with dreams, sky and religious icons like Mary who embody truth, wisdom and eternity.
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Patrick Seruwu is a self-taught Ugandan artist currently living in Johannesburg. Born in Kampala, Uganda, he studied at Kyambogo High School. An art enthusiast, he participated in community art competitions before relocating to South Africa where he met Benon Lutaaya who mentored him. Artist Statement My work is about the strength of women, capturing moments of their daily lives. It acknowledges the different attributes I see in my mother.
08 Patrick Seruwu b.1985 Uganda
Feeling Resistance 2020 acrylic on canvas signed and dated bottom right 127 x 93 cm
ZAR 20 000 – 25 000
PLACE BID
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I use charcoal drawing and acrylic painting on canvas, applied in the form of a wash. I choose deliberately to wash the canvas, allowing the paint to drip as a metaphor for women’s tears of pain but also their tears of joy and success. My choice of colour, sepia or pink, is both a reflection of time, that is needed for healing, as well as to portray the tension of their daily lives. These experiences of women captured in my works are a very sensitive issue around the world. Most portraits are drawn in the form of bust figures, like the idealised eternal youth and strength of the Roman and Greek sculptures, which to me signify pillars of strength, but are also a reflection of womanhood and of time passing. I use Johannesburg as a point of reference – a cosmopolitan city that attracts people from diverse social, political, and cultural backgrounds, especially from the neighbouring African countries, in search of work. It is within this multicultural, work-deprived and overpopulated environment that I see the strength of the women I come across in my own daily life.
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09 Vusi Beauchamp b.1979 South Africa
Unkwon 2019 spray paint, charcoal and pastel on paper signed and dated bottom left 97 x 69 cm
ZAR 40 000 – 60 000
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Vusi Beauchamp is an artist, multimedia designer, and art director who uses paint, stencils, silkscreen printing and spray-painting, to comment on social issues and on the politicians and events that make up the South African cultural landscape. Unkwon is a savvy statement by a sophisticated artist who is conscious of the many ways in which he is perceived both by the media and the art world. His often controversial works are the artistic version of satirical journalism and social critique, reflecting ways in which perception is often shaped by the media. Humour is an important ingredient in his dual vision which looks at events both from the ‘inside’ and the outside, affording viewers glimpses of contemporary local politics as well as lived experience in the urban jungle.
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Blessing Ngobeni was born in 1985 in a small rural town of Tzaneen in the Limpopo province. At the age of ten, he moved to Johannesburg where, after a tumultuous decade, he entered the contemporary art scene. Bringing with him a unique style and a critique of political regimes, Ngobeni made the corruption, incompetence and duplicity of current South African ruling elite the subjects of his art. He tackles the disconcerting consequences of betraying democratic ideals, the failure to learn from historical tragedies and the expanding gap between the rich and poor. This critique is informed by Ngobeni’s own experience, the hardships and challenges he had to confront as a child and adolescent. As a result of his exceptional work and dedication to his practice, Ngobeni received the highly-prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award for the Visual Arts in 2019.
10 Blessing Ngobeni b.1985 South Africa
Walking Virus 2020 acrylic and collage on canvas signed and dated bottom right 100 x 100 cm
ZAR 90 000 – 120 000
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His latest body of work, produced as an outcome of winning the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for the Visual Arts in 2019, will be installed and exhibited at the National Arts Festival in 2021, before beginning its year-long tour of various major cultural institutions in South Africa. It is of importance to note that Ngobeni is an artist focusing on more than his own evolving career. His efforts in mentoring young artists have led him to form two projects that support graduates who are transitioning from their fine art training at tertiary institutions to their careers as full-time artists. The first, in collaboration with the Bag Factory, is the Blessing Ngobeni Studio Art Award established in 2017. The second is called ‘Initiative’ and introduces young artists to the art industry through a series of workshops and culminates in an opportunity for them to participate in a group show. This empowering work attests to Ngobeni’s personal and professional contribution to the art world and society at large.
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Leeroy Jason is a South African photographer and avid traveller based in Johannesburg, with a natural instinct for visually and artistically documenting stories from South Africa and the continent at large. His photographic career finds its roots in his childhood when the artist’s father, having recently returned from photographing the genocide in Rwanda, gave him his first camera at the age of eleven.
11 Leeroy Jason b.1982 South Africa
#Feesmustfall 2020 photographic print signed, dated and inscribed with the title bottom right 79 x 109 cm
ZAR 6 000 – 10 000
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At the age of sixteen, Leeroy was the youngest paid photographer for the Sowetan newspaper and since his early beginnings, his artistic vision has successfully infiltrated the advertising industry and has seen him working on various projects, such as commercial campaigns for major brands in the country. He has worked with South Africa’s national broadcaster, the SABC, on both their television and radio commercial and corporate photography, as well as the independent digital satellite company, Multichoice, on channels such as Big Brother SA, The Good Life Network and Mzanzi Magic to name a few. When he is not working on corporate projects, Leeroy concentrates on his own personal work and style of photography. Resonating with the notion of diversity, the span of Leeroy’s output is substantial and covers a number of subjects, including a documentary on land reforms in South Africa as well as capturing subjects relating to rural villages, peri-urban areas, townships and student protests, in addition to the haute-couture creations and lifestyles of society’s upper-echelons. Evidently, Leeroy’s lens is one all too familiar with the multicultural realities of a diverse Africa.
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12 Teresa Firmino b.1993 South Africa
Museum of the Dead 2 2019 acrylic and collage on canvas signed and dated bottom right 74 x 90 cm
AR 15 000 – 18 000
Teresa Kutala Firmino was born in Pomfret, a remote town in the North West province of South Africa where ex-Angolan soldiers who fought with South African forces in the South African Border War (1966–1989) were relocated after the war. Her father later joined the South African Defense Force which resulted in Firmino spending her school years in Zeerust and Johannesburg before she went to the University of Witwatersrand, where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts in 2018. Firmino’s present narrative is contained in a broader theme that enquires into history. “History as presented is often biased and one-sided, so to get a better understanding I reimagine my past in this so-called truth.” Personal memories and historical events are combined and presented in interior scenes that present themselves as both possibilities and invitations to reimagine history. Firmino is also part of KutalaChopeto, a collective with fellow artist Helena Uambembe which they use as a vehicle to challenge and change some of the stereotypes presented in existing history narratives. Firmino now works and lives in Johannesburg. She is a multi-media artist working in the mediums of paint, photography and performance. Firmino is a founder of the Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize.
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13 Neo Mahlangu b.1992 South Africa
The Backbone 2020 charcoal on paper signed and dated 70.5 x 100 cm
ZAR 14 000 – 20 000
PLACE BID
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Neo Mahlangu is a Johannesburg-based artist working primarily with charcoal and digital illustrations. Since debuting her artworks in 2017 at an August House Open Studio in Johannesburg and having a sold-out showing, Mahlangu has shown regularly at local galleries. In 2017, Mahlangu was a finalist for the Cassirer Welz Award and was later listed by Between 10and5 as one of the Top 30 creatives under 30 in 2018. Design Indaba listed her as an Emerging Creative during the same year. In 2019, Mahlangu made her art fair debut at the Latitudes Art Fair, Johannesburg, showing with the South African Mint the work that is now on the Two Rand (ZAR2) circulation coins. Forming part of the celebrated commemoration of South Africa’s twenty-five years of democracy, the artist made history by being the youngest person to design the country’s Two Rand coins. Adding to her creative merits, Mr Price Home gave her reigns to design a blanket for their sold-out COLAB Collection. Mahlangu was also a finalist in the Arts & Culture Trust’s ImpACT Awards for Young Professionals in 2020.
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14 Olwethu de Vos b.1992 South Africa
Puberty I 2020 ink, charcoal, staples, wire copper and steel scourer on board signed and dated bottom centre 52 x 55 x 23 cm
ZAR 9 000 – 12 000
Olwethu de Vos is a multidisciplinary artist and art curator based in Johannesburg. She is affiliated with the city’s respected artist community, August House, and her practice encompasses explorations into two- and threedimensional artworks, adding glass sculptures and mixed media drawings to her output, amongst others. De Vos obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine and Applied Arts from the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, where she majored in Glass Blowing, Sculpture and Figure Studies. Confronted with the cityscape of sprawling Johannesburg, De Vos’ work interrogates the vast intricacies of societal ideologies and theories surrounding post-humanism. Unravelling such intricate subjects opens up an expansive exploration into the ties that exist between the natural world, society and the influences of technology. Overall, such contemplations invite speculation as to what it means to be human and, moreover, how human beings might come to realise their greatest potential. De Vos is a founder of the Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize.
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15 Cromwell Ngobeni b.1988 South Africa
Where Can I Help? 2020 charcoal and pastel on paper signed and dated bottom left; inscribed with the title middle centre 147 x 89 cm
ZAR 35 000 – 45 000
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In seeking to confront and heal from inner pain and anguish, Cromwell Ngobeni’s utilisation of art as a positive outlet has seen him refine his skill as an artist, resulting in his unique, figurative drawings which are often inspired by his personal background, childhood and lived experiences. Ngobeni’s deliberate use of dark and expressive lines serves as a means to communicate the intense and often dramatic emotions that the artist hopes to convey through his work. Given the quality of Ngobeni’s talent, the artist has received multiple corporate commissions and has produced work for Fasken Martineau’s corporate print portfolio, as well as collaborated with Hollard Insurance. In 2015, Ngobeni participated in the Barclays Absa L’Atelier competition. Based in Johannesburg, Ngobeni continues to expand his practice and his skill as a printmaker sees him working closely with the team of master printers at the Artist Proof Studio.
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16 Helena Uambembe b.1994 South Africa
Through My Neighbour’s Window I Saw III 2020 fabric, cotton thread and tulle on waterproof canvas 78 x 163 cm
ZAR 12 000 – 18 000
PLACE BID
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Recognised for her gifted, multidisciplinary practice, Helena Uambembe’s body of work incorporates a variety of media. Her practice makes use of performance, printmaking and textiles. Whatever her choice of medium, Uambembe’s artworks serve as telling pieces that not only draw on her own life, but also seek to address the erasure of conflicts complicit in South Africa’s wars in Angola and Namibia. Confronting these erasures is poignant, especially when one considers that the legacies of these past conflicts can still be felt today. Given the resonance of Uambembe’s work, the artist has featured in a number of noteworthy exhibitions, both locally and abroad, and has contributed to shows at the Museu National de Historia Natural in Luanda, Angola, as well as the ABSA Art Gallery, Johannesburg, the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town, and the Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg, to name a few. Uambembe has also mounted a number of performances at eminent spaces in Johannesburg, including The Centre for the Less Good Idea and the FNB Joburg Art Fair.
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17 Asanda Kupa b.1981 South Africa
Yhini na sisi... 2020 acrylic on canvas signed and dated bottom right 190 x 150 cm
ZAR 50 000 – 80 000
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Reflecting on the state of the new South Africa, Asanda Kupa explores the experiences of those pushed to the country’s margins and relegated to its periphery. Having grown up in the semi-rural town of Molteno in the Eastern Cape, Kupa’s work is sympathetic to the lived realities of South Africa’s black population – realities often confronted with the ebb and flow of hope, hopelessness and the resulting protests, especially when such communities have a lack of access to basic resources and services. Based in Johannesburg, Kupa is involved with the respected Bag Factory and has won multiple awards, including the Ann Bryant Young Artist of the Year award (2010) and the Reinhold Cassirer Award (2013). His work forms part of a number of prestigious collections, such as The Southern African Foundation For Contemporary Art, Nando’s and the Art Bank of South Africa.
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Awarded the Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize in 2019, Phenyo Melody Madiba is a multifaceted creative. As a child, Madiba found pleasure in drawing – especially on the walls of her home. This recreational activity soon flared into a passionate hobby, which her mother steered to paper, canvas and art classes.
18 Phenyo Melody Madiba b.1993 South Africa
Gemini Moon 2019 pyrography and pigment on jelutong wood signed and dated bottom left 82 x 59 x cm
ZAR 5 000 – 7 000
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When she finished high school, having taken design as a subject, she went on to study Interior Design at the Design School of Southern Africa. It was there where she fell in love with wood and discovered pyrography, which is the art of drawing on wood, leather or other materials using a soldering iron. It is through this art form that she began creating works that seek to explore various aspects of who she is. Madiba taps into the inner workings of her mind to conceive work that is rooted in femininity, consciousness and the full expression of oneself. Putting emphasis on balance – the duality in human experiences – she portrays an array of emotions from a black woman’s lens. Her chosen subject matter is predominantly black women at different stages of their growth. Adding to her accolades in 2019, Madiba was crowned as a Design Indaba Emerging Creative. Since 2016, Madiba has been part of various group exhibitions and actively strives to improve her practice as she continues to grow as an artist.
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19 Lindo Zwane b.1992 South Africa
Amatoho wase goli 2020 acrylic and charcoal on canvas signed and dated bottom right; inscribed with the title mid-centre 134 x 172 cm
ZAR 30 000 – 40 000
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South African artist Lindokuhle Zwane works predominantly in acrylics and charcoal while also exploring printmaking mediums. He studied printmaking at the Artist Proof Studio, where he also worked as a drawing facilitator for three years. In 2017, Zwane was awarded the Ekurhuleni prize for second place in the prestigious Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards. Zwane’s work is centred on feelings of nostalgia and the process of catharsis. He is interested in everyday life and where it’s headed, as well as how the past inextricably weaves itself into the present. The memory and influence of the past, and the reality of the present often pose deep psychological challenges that he expresses through his work. Zwane’s work has been exhibited extensively throughout South Africa including at the Joburg Art fair, the Turbine Art Fair, Absa Gallery and more.
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20 Sizwe Khoza b.1990 South Africa
N’wa Nkunzi 2017 acrylic on paper signed and dated bottom right; inscribed with the title bottom left 78 x 78 cm
ZAR 25 000 – 35 000
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Sizwe Khoza was born two years before the end of the Civil War in Mozambique, and moved to South Africa shortly after. Khoza graduated from the Artist Proof Studio in 2012, following which he was offered a residency at the William Humphreys Art Gallery (WHAG) in Kimberley under the mentorship of the late Dumisani Mabaso. Thereafter he returned to the Artist Proof Studio where he currently teaches printmaking. In his own practice, he specialises in painting, monotype and combined printmaking techniques and has had numerous exhibitions with the Artist Proof Studio and various other galleries. Khoza travels to Mozambique twice a year to take photographs which, upon his return, inspire the new works he creates. In recent works, Khoza uses the head wrap as a symbol of power and strength, the artist says: “Head wrapping is a way that we as Africans are able to non-verbally communicate our place in life. In Mozambique, head wraps worn by women can tell you if she’s a widow, a grandmother or if she’s married. In my work it communicates where I come from, my values and my respect for African women. In this body of work it specifically symbolises the crown worn by a Queen”.
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21 Malose Pete b.1989 South Africa
Intergenerational Dialog (sic) 2020 earth, charcoal and oil on canvas signed and dated bottom right 80 x 100 cm
ZAR 10 000 – 15 000
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Malose Pete grew up in a rural Limpopo where, although he had no formal art training in his schooling, he realised his own potential and passion by creating illustrations. Pete went on to join the Fine Arts Department at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), where he majored in painting and sculpture. Pete has taken part in the absa L’Atelier Art Competition, the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition as well as the Sanlam Portrait Awards. Notably, Pete was commissioned to create the Sefako Makgatho figure for the National Heritage Monument at Century City, Cape Town. Pete has had solo exhibitions at various galleries across South Africa, he currently works as a lecturer at TUT, and in 2018 he was part of the judging panel for the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition.
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22 Arlindo Maunde b.1969 South Africa
Reconnect 2020 acrylic on canvas signed and dated bottom left 91 x 76 cm
ZAR 20 000 – 30 000
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Mozambican born, self-taught artist, Arlindo Maunde has lived in Johannesburg since 1988. He was inspired to become an artist, growing up without art in his parents’ home. At a young age, on his way to school, he used to pass the house of the Mozambican artist Malangatana Ngwenya which inspired him most . Working in a peaceful and lovely art studio in Johannesburg, he uses vibrant and exotic colours, mixed media with palette knife and brush on canvas and paper, exploring various techniques in oil, acrylic, charcoal and watercolour. He has exhibited in many group exhibitions in South Africa and abroad, including Creative Hub Gallery in Dubai and Workman’s Art Gallery in Sandton. His work is represented in collections in South Africa, USA, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Dubai, Australia, Mozambique and India amongst others.
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23 Thokozani Madonsela b.1988 South Africa
Laughing Out Loud II 2020 acrylic and fabric on unstretched canvas signed and dated bottom right 150 x 69 cm
ZAR 12 000 – 18 000
PLACE BID
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Thokozani Madonsela’s work is most notably recognised by the nude, faceless, often laughing figures which fill his canvasses. These ambiguous figures lack any discernible gender, economic status or age. The artist’s current body of work tells the stories of the everyday, using various accessories to depict individuals from varying walks of life, with an emphasis on the notion that we are all visitors in the urban spaces we call home, that none of us really belong here. Madonsela has a certificate in printmaking from the Artist Proof Studio in Johannesburg. He currently works as a painter, mural artist, mosaic artist and printmaker, primarily using charcoal, acrylics and pastels. He has participated in several exhibitions, including shows at the Absa L’Atelier, the Turbine Art Fair, The Art Room, Johannesburg and more.
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24 Kealeboga Tlalang b.1991 South Africa
No1 Nox Man/Tax Man 2019 collage on canvas signed and dated bottom left 150 x 144 cm
ZAR 25 000 – 35 000
PLACE BID
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Kealeboga Tlalang is a South African artist specialising in cutting-edge collage work, using his medium as a form of puzzle play. Tlalang’s self-professed focus is on social and economic issues in South Africa. The artist is currently working on a series of works addressing and raising awareness of injustice in the South African political system. Tlalang’s colourful figures speak to the vibrancy of people with all their fascinating colour and movement. As one steps back, it’s meticulous to discover that each artwork is actually made up of small pieces of paper, layered with a striking precision creating a subtle, intruiging effect.
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25 Theophilus Rikhotso b.1993 South Africa
Better days 2020 oil and acrylic on canvas signed and dated bottom right 70 x 109.5 cm
ZAR 7 000 – 9 000
PLACE BID
50
Theophelus Rikhotso was born in a rural village of Bungeni, Njhakanjhaka in Limpopo province. He discovered his artistic talent at a young age, and was greatly inspired by his uncle who was a self-taught artist. Art has always been Rikhotso’s passion, he believes making art is a vehicle for the expression of his thoughts, memories and everyday life experiences. His work is largely inspired by nature and his environment and his process combines ready-made objects, manipulated polymer, metal and soil.
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26 Percy Maimela b.1985 South Africa
Dreams 2020 charcoal on unstreched canvas signed and dated bottom left; inscribed with the title mid-centre 133 x 91 cm
ZAR 12 000 – 18 000
PLACE BID
52
Percy Maimela is a self-taught artist currently working at August House studios in Johannesburg. In 2014, while working as a sales assistant, Maimela decided to pursue a career in art as a part-time business, making portraits for commissions and later, in 2016, became a full-time artist. His preferred media include charcoal drawing, painting and some traditional art forms, but he also experiments with unconventional mediums like salt, maize meal, ashes, and coffee grounds – techniques he discovered during his retail employment. His work is mostly inspired by issues and conditions surrounding his community and he strives to inspire and motivate his community through his work.
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27 Jemmiro b.1976 Mozambique
Untold Stories 2020 acrylic on canvas signed and dated bottom left 112 x 127 cm
ZAR 28 000 – 32 000
PLACE BID
54
Jemmiro (Belmiro Antonio Jemusse) was born in Mozambique, but moved to South Africa in 2003 to take up a career as a full-time artist, escaping what he describes as limitations in Mozambique’s art scene. He studied drawing, painting and print-making and has participated in a number of solo and group exhibitions. Jemmiro explores new ways of capturing memories and imagination, and has recently become drawn to the Superblur movement.
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ARTIST INDEX Beauchamp, V Chidora, T de Vos, O Firmino, T Jemmiro Khoza, S Kupa, A Langa, A Leeroy, J Machepha, I Madiba, PM Madonsela, T Mahlangu, N Maimela, P Makamo, N Maunde, A Mkhabela, S Ngobeni, B Ngobeni, C Pete, M Rihlampfu, N Rikhotso, T Seruwu, P Tlalang, K Tshikhutula, J Uambembe, H Zwane, L
9 3 14 12 27 20 17 7 11 1 18 23 13 26 6 22 2 10 15 21 5 25 8 24 4 16 19
A CKNO W LED GE ME NT S R E S E A R C H A N D A U T H O RSH IP
EB | Emma Bedford MS | Marc Smith JKS | Joshua Stanley LT | Lisa Truter
PHOTOGRAPHY
ER Lombard DE S I G N
Jacqui Carney
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