Profile Category: Artist

Primrose Chimhanda a multidisciplinary artist and Pattern Designer. Her Digital Artworks are sold as limited edition Giclee Prints. Her artworks celebrate the unique characteristics of cultural groups and communities within their social context, and they draw attention to the social issues that these communities face. This is achieved through the use – and fusion – of iconography, geometric shapes and pattern design. Iconographic themes of specialization within the artworks include (vernacular) architecture, nature, and cultural symbols.

The aim of her artworks is to educate and create an awareness, respect and appreciation, within society, towards cultures, belief systems and traditions of communities which may be foreign to the viewer. When social issues within these communities are addressed, the aim is to ignite a debate which could potentially inspire action for change.

Rather than focusing on popular visual culture, as much artwork does today, Fourie’s artistic practice confronts the mundane. Though his work, which acts as a type of visual poetry, could be seen as mundane, visions and experiences of everyday life transcend into another space, a space in which everyday notions become beautiful, intriguing sights.

Musa Mtshali is a contemporary artist based in Durban and specializes in producing art in mixed media; painting, sculpting, installation and performance art.

Anna van der Ploeg is an interdisciplinary artist from South Africa, working primarily in paint, print, and wood. She is compelled by representational imagery for the qualities it shares with literature: an ability to be didactic, or to create a fiction in which to probe at the truth. Van der Ploeg has a sharp interest in language, as intimated in her titles, and writing often runs parallel to the making of her works. Titles sometimes precede, or prompt the actual artwork. Her practice is built on a foundation of intellectual curiosity and technical competence: she is vigorous in both making and thinking. Though the catalyst to her work is conceptual, her process is often labour-intensive and perceptive.

The art of drawing with pen and brush has become a major part of Taiwo Ohu Gbenga and the permanent linear method of image-making inspired him to illustrate a series of iconic architectural landmarks in South Africa. It could very well be argued that these buildings house stories, memories and histories like culture and heritages that resonate personally and collectively more so with the immediate society.

Kali van der Merwe's work merges boundaries between art, science, biology, astronomy and taxidermy. She does so by entering the realms of imagination and magic. She explores trajectories between real and fictional while traversing nuanced interconnections between death and life.

Zakhele Hlabisa was born in Mtubatuba North KwaZulu-Natal. He is Durban-based and is a natural realism and conceptual artist. He produces art mainly in drawing, painting, and prints.

Vuyisile Adoons creates artworks that people can resonate with by depicting a lifestyle of people living in the rural or semi-rural areas. The aim is to paint stories that touch, move, fascinate people about where we come from but most importantly to convey the message to them that even though we might come from disadvantaged and impoverished communities there are always good stories to be told through art.

Morgan Mahape is a self-taught artist. He wanted to be an artist since he was 10 years old, but his parents didn’t support the idea.

Kenneth Shandu is a South African contemporary artist working with a range of materials to make drawings, prints, sculptures and installations. His body of work addresses issues of economically marginalised people, inspired by their everyday experiences in post-apartheid South Africa.