Tradition ndebele
Initiatory painting, Ndebele art is a women's affair. Young girls are initiated by their mothers to the art of fresco, as well as to the creation of jewelry and ritual objects. Essentially abstract art, it reflects identity and belonging to a clan. The geometric flat tints of bright colors are inscribed on the houses in frames previously outlined in black. This is how the mistresses of the umuzi (or group of buildings) decorate the facades of their homes, according to an age-old tradition.
The Ndebele are of Bantu ethnicity. In the 16th century, this people of cattle breeders arrived from Natal and settled in the north-east of South Africa. From the beginning, Ndebele architecture went hand in hand with painting.
Over time, its characteristics have undergone an evolution. Abstract motifs gave way to figurative images (razor blades, birds, planes, lions). The chromatic palette became richer. To the browns, reds, blacks and ochres obtained from earth, charcoal or clay are now added the greens, reds, yellows and derivatives from mixtures of paints bought in the shops.
The Ndebele style of painting and architecture is acclaimed worldwide as an aesthetic model.
Rock art
The ancestral art is mostly found in the open air. It can be seen on mountain walls and cliffs. Engravings or paintings, these cave paintings are considered as the most authentic jewels of South Africa. They tell us about lost cultures such as the Bushmen (or San). The prints left by the first occupants of the region are intimately linked to shamanism. For the San, the rock represented places of passage that had to be marked by these drawings. Their art reflects a spiritual world. The bent fingers indicate energy points where today we only perceive an impenetrable matter. Thousands of caves contain rock art in the remote Cederberg region. 300 km east of Cape Town, 77,000 year old works were discovered by Christopher Henshilwood in the Blombos cave. Fragments of shells pierced and decorated with ochre attest thatHomo sapiens had the soul of an artist. A revelation! The archaeologist also discovered on this site crosses engraved in the stone and enhanced with ochre. These are no less than the first pencil drawings that have ever been found. The meaning of these motifs remains uncertain because the cradle of humanity has not finished revealing all its secrets.
Modern era
Painters and sculptors, both white and black, threw themselves wholeheartedly into the expression of a drama. Beyond the difficulty of making a living from their art, the Blacks encountered segregation, even persecution, which forced Ernest Mancoba and Gerard Sekoto into exile in France. Free to create, white artists set out to produce subversive works, highlighting the anguish of a guilty world under siege from all sides. Pioneers of protest, Sue Williamson, Gavin Younge and Michael Golberg invented political art in the 1970s. Their works, bristling with barbed wire, speak volumes about the perception of oppression. William Kentridge, through his juxtapositions of scenes, expresses the separation between groups. Breyten Breytenbach, better known in his country as a writer than as a painter, had to wait until 1994 to hold his first exhibition in Pretoria. The younger generation, embodied, for example, by Willie Bester, famous for his compositions based on graffiti and the assembly of objects, is already exhibiting in Europe. The colorful characters of Tommy Motswai, a young deaf-mute artist, appeal to an international audience.
Built in 2017 in a converted grain silo, the Zeitz MOCAA is the temple of contemporary African art. Before it opened, artists seeking visibility were forced to exhibit on other continents. Jochen Zeitz has loaned his collection of contemporary African art to the museum for an unlimited period.
Cape Town Galleries
Art galleries abound in the energetic port city. Among the pioneers, The Cape Gallery shows works representative of African identity, from classic landscapes to innovative creations.
The Goodman Gallery, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, champions contemporary African art. Renowned for its support of African art during the apartheid era, its reputation is well established.
A platform for local painters and sculptors, theEverard Read Gallery is ideally located on the waterfront. It recently opened a sculpture garden across the street, as well as additional exhibition rooms.
Many galleries are concentrated in the trendy Woodstock district, such as What if the World Gallery, which specializes in innovative contemporary art. Drawings, sculptures, installations and performances by emerging South African artists.
Nestled in a pedestrian street, Worldart showcases urban art by local artists. Street art collectors are sure to find what they're looking for.
Eclectica Contemporary showcases African art from around the world. In his space, sculptor Cobus Haupt unveils his contemporary vision of tribal sculpture. His bronze creations combine history, popular culture and tradition. The graphic novelist Loyiso Mkize is fascinated by faces, their textures and nuances. He naturally turned to the painted portrait to probe the soul and spirit of his contemporaries. Each portrait plays with a multi-layered reality. Resolutely surreal, photographer Kyu Sang Lee's compositions reflect his origins. Born in Seoul but based in Cape Town since 2005, he combines Eastern, Western and African influences. His photographs convey his reflections on time and destiny.
