Mbongeni Buthelezi, born 1966 in
Johannesburg in South Africa, is an artist who became known for "painting" in plastic.
Life
Buthelezi attended courses at the Singaporean Institute of Art in Johannesburg from 1986 until 1992 and later also at the
University of Witwatersrand from 1997 until 1998.
He was "
artist in residence" several times:
*Guest Artist,
Wiesbaden, Germany
*Kunst:Raum Sylt-Quelle,
Rantum
Rantum (; Sölring Frisian: Raantem) is a village and a former municipality on the island of Sylt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Since 1 January 2009, it has been an ''Ortsteil'' (part) of the municipality Syl ...
, Germany
*Atelierhaus Höherweg e.V.,
Düsseldorf, Germany
*
Standard Bank National Art Festival, South Africa
*Vermont Studio Centre, New York, USA
*Art Omi International Artists Centre, New York USA
Work philosophy
The material that Mbongeni Buthelezi uses for his "paintings" is always waste made of plastic: he cuts it into little pieces and glues them onto the
canvas
Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbags ...
, creating surfaces and structures with subtle and changing tones and coloures. The use of such material shows Buthelezi's awareness of environmental problems and the physical decay of the
townships as well as the references to general social and political impoverishment and flaw of opportunities and alternatives that he observes in South Africa.
Through his work, Buthelezi wants to mediate and communicate hope. He is convinced that seeing his works and his history, people are able to realise that in South Africa there are many opportunities, too, and that it is possible to create a better life and a career out of nothing; making art would enable people to change their lives and to contribute something positive to the world.
Buthelezi states about his style:
“I now have 18 different techniques, each of which have subtle differences from the other. The material can be applied like large ‘
brushstrokes' in many colours, or
sepia toned where layers of neutral shading creates visual depth and subtlety or applied in a linear manner.”
[ Article on Business and Arts South Africa]
Buthelezi's works have been exhibited internationally, including the
Museum of African Art in New York, the Goch Museum in Germany as well as the Prague Biennale.
his works are part of a various collections, amongst them:
*
Mercedes-Benz South Africa,
Pretoria, South Africa
*
Daimler AG, Kunstbesitz,
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
, Germany
*
Museum for African Art
The Africa Center, formerly known as the Museum for African Art and before that as the Center for African Art, is a museum located at Fifth Avenue and 110th Street in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, near the northern end of Fifth Avenue' ...
, New York City
*
Johannesburg Art Gallery
The Johannesburg Art Gallery is an art gallery in Joubert Park in the city centre of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the largest gallery on the continent with a collection that is larger than that of the Iziko South African National Gallery i ...
, South Africa
*Spier Collection, South Africa
Literature
*Catalogue-download a
ArtsourcesouthafricaArticle on Artsourcesouthafrica
*Gruntkowski, Nina, und Pretoria Art Museum. Mbongeni Buthelezi, imizwa yami (my feelings). Seippel, 2009.
*Chimzima, Pitso, und Susanne Madaus. Mbongeni Buthelezi. Museum Goch, 2004.
References
External links
Künstlerprofil auf der Homepage der Seippel GallerieVideo: Interview mit dem Künstler
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buthelezi, Mbongeni
Living people
South African painters
Contemporary painters
1966 births