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B.A.D. Best of African Design – 100% Zulu
The KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa has a rich and unique heritage of art, craft and cutting-edge design, which sheds insight into both traditional and contemporary Zulu culture.
This exciting exhibition presents a fresh selection of work by the region's top artists and most prominent designers, working in a diverse range of disciplines, including oil painting, woodcuts/lithographs, photography, painted/burnt-wood sculpting, telephone-wire weaving, beadwork, embroidery, grass basketry and other original hand-made and recycled items.
Along the lines of the well-known Africa Remix, this is a dramatic collection of modern African art and design, and includes only the finest, brightest, and boldest items from in and around the bustling South African city of Durban.
The groundbreaking exhibition is anchored with work by top KwaZulu-Natal artists, such as the deep-hued oil pastels of Zamani Mkhanya and Sfiso Ka Mkame, linocuts imbued with strong political and social commentary by William Zulu, and complex copper wire sculpting by Lindelani Ngwenya. There are oils by the more traditional Zulu artist, Joseph Manana, in contrast to the lively street and rural scenes of Welcome Danca, Sibusiso Duma and Siphiwe Zulu. The vivid telephone-wire weaving includes figurative and geometric work by the master weavers such as Alice Gcaba, Joyce Mkhize, and Simon Mavundla.
The exhibition also includes an exclusive collector’s series of black-and-white photography by Paul Weinberg, carefully selected from his 25 years experience as one of the leading South African photographers. His photographs, like the rest of the work on display, are committed to exploring and revealing the subtleties and surprises of modern day Zulu culture.
Other than the established fine art, the exhibition also contains practical hand-made items, from home décor and utility-ware to striking personal fashion statements. There is a selection of Nguni-skin carpets, beaded chandeliers, colourful wooden mobiles, classy ceramic and paper-mache bowls, place mats, trinket boxes and much more. For personal adornment, there are funky hand-embroidered umbrellas, jewelry, baskets, handbags, and Zulu tyre sandals.
There is nothing clichéd in this collection, which takes the word “craft” onto an entirely new level. This is an extraordinary and quirky collection of work rarely seen on London shores. There is something for everyone, from serious art collectors to browsers and even a few surprises for the children. It’s a sensory explosion, which is guaranteed to delight the eyes and taste buds.
The exhibition has been curated by the African Millennium Foundation in conjunction with the two most respected sources of original African art in the KwaZulu-Natal region, the prestigious
African Art Centre
and the Zen Zulu/
BAT Craft
of Durban.
Other partners include Bona Africa, Tunga, Nguni Skins and the Umcebo Trust. The African Millennium Foundation would like to thank all involved, for their time and generous assistance.
The African Millennium Foundation:
The African Millennium Foundation, registered trust number IT 289/2005 is a self funded, not-for-profit project which was originally formed to artistically encourage, financially support, nationally and internationally promote, the work of women sculptors in Zimbabwe. After three successful years it extended its work to promote all artists from Zimbabwe and now has extended its remit to include South Africa. This year, the Foundation has made a significant contribution to the artists/designers/crafters and institutions that promote them, in KwaZulu-Natal. Its aim is to promote artists that are creative, original, and produce quality work, and to provide a vehicle to educate and excite international audiences.
Brief History of Events:
Between 2003-2005 African Millennium hosted three separate In Praise of Women tours, which were held in London, Oxford, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Toronto. It also organised and funded the annual Young Women Sculptor Awards, a national competition in Zimbabwe, which saw the internationally exhibited women sculptors increase from 5 to 55, with the technical quality of the work improving dramatically. These Awards included a local exhibition (at the Alliance Francaise and National Gallery of Harare), generous prizes and three six-month sculpting scholarships to financially sponsor three young women artists with great potential. The AMF also funded the New-for-Old Tool Exchange program, to replace the often hand-made tools of disadvantaged Zimbabwean artists with professional sculpting equipment. In 2006, it launched African Odyssey, a retrospective series which traces the historical movement of "Shona" sculpture over the past 50 years. In 2006, it opened the annual competition, now titled the Young Sculptor Awards, to men as well as women artists, and received entries from over 1000 contestants. While it will continue to run both the In Praise of Women and African Odyssey series, it will for the first time, now also be promoting South African artists and crafters.
Remember Zimbabwe:
Due to financial constraints and the rapidly deteriorating Zimbabwean situation, the African Millennium Foundation had to severely limit its activities in Zimbabwe this year, by canceling both its annual trips there. Sadly this meant that many of the sculptors it artistically and financially supports, have suffered. The African Millennium Foundation remains entirely committed to Zimbabwe, and aims to return to Zimbabwe as soon as is practicable. It is launching the Remember Zimbabwe campaign, which will involve fundraising at the London and Toronto exhibitions, for three major Zimbabwean sculpting centres: the Chitungwiza Arts Centre, the NyangaCraftVillage and the Mutare National Gallery. All funds raised will be split between these sculpting hubs and the funds will be presented to them by the end of this year.
African Odyssey 2007:
The strongest sculpture exhibition yet curated by the African Millennium Foundation, will be hitting Canadian shores this September. African Odyssey 2007, a new and powerful series, will be open between 6 September – 5 October, from 10am – 6pm weekdays only, at the TDCentre,TorontoDominionBankTower, 66 Wellington Street West. The show includes monumental artworks by Dominic Benhura, which have been in the public collection of the Open University in the UK, as well as other powerful artworks to celebrate half a century of the ‘Shona’ sculpting movement.
The collection, which was in London last year, was hailed by the art critics including the BBC, Africa experts at the British Museum and by the Royal British Society of Sculptors, as the most important exhibition yet to explore the movement from its historical origins to contemporary manifestations.
Please could you very kindly pass this onto any-one you feel may be interested in this year’s exhibition line up. Thanks very much.
Kindest regards,
Amy Saunderson-Meyer
Exhibition Manager
African Millennium Foundation
UK
Mobile
: 07942 392 765
Email:
zimsculpture@iafrica.com
Web:
www.african-millennium.org
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