motlhabane mashiangwako
Motlhabane Mashiangwako began his fine art studies in the house of Geoff Phakati, a tireless cultural worker and activist who mentored a generation of fine artists and jazz musicians in the sixties and seventies. Under the tutelage of such masters as the late Fikile Magadledla and Winston Saodi, Mashiangwako soon developed into a distinctive stylist. Although his first works were unmistakably political in their subject matter he soon moved away from overt polemics and became known for his studies into materials such as stone, rock, sand and wood, which he would burn or melt onto mixed media canvasses. Mashiangwako infused these works with a cosmic afro-spiritualism that was highly influenced by the writings of Cheik Anta Diop. His current work retains a strong period feel, there is a timeless quality, as if Mashiangwako has been entirely unconcerned with the vagaries of fashion, with digital media, with all the hip and epemeral fancies of the art world - but has solidly continued his afrocentric cosmological studies, uses his canvasses as self-contained time capsules spreading his vision of an afro-humanity freed up and operating at full potential. These are spiritual canvasses which speak the language of myth - truly ancient to the future.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Miss you Baba. Miss being in that space that allows me to be me. Wish I would be there again and allow hearts and spirits to open and never close again…
No words can say how much I miss your spirit presence…and your magical garden and estate with the art explosions under the sun of the motherland…a dream of a living working environment, peace and healing.
I am stuck here in the land of grey, making myself I believe I do what I want if not that then what the family need. Thinking of you and your family full of admiration and pride… pride to know you and to love you, baba and mama.
Lots of love from de sista in the land of grey.
:o)