Young At Art
From the beginning of time, the arts, ranging from the
visual arts to literature and music, to theatrical performances, have had a
powerful influence on societal development.
Through their work, artists have often challenged commonly held
perspectives with fresh and innovative thinking.
Over the years, they have helped raise awareness about
social issues, broken down barriers to cross-cultural understanding and
inspired numerous creative ideas, and they continue to do so. To sum it up,
artists are important agents of change.
One artist whom I recently had the pleasure of meeting, has
certainly been making waves on the streets of Soweto! This artist is the
larger-than-life, Zanele Mashumi, Founder and Director of Mashumi Art Projects
(MAP), an exhibition based on the world renowned Vilakazi Street at the Nex Dor
Restaurant in Orlando West, Soweto.
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| "Warriors Never Die" Photographed by Simphiwe 'Vice' Nene |
Besides the excitement of that being my second official
visit to Soweto, I was genuinely excited to finally see the actual art pieces
that I had seen pictures of. Just like seeing a performer live, seeing a
portrait right before my eyes – the colours and the general feel of it - was
truly something worth recording. Each photograph and each fine art piece evoked
a certain feeling in me. You know that feeling, when one acknowledges that they
may not know much about art, but they get this, they get the story behind it
and they appreciate it; that’s the feeling they evoked in me, and man did it
feel AWESOME! Not just that, but I was even given the opportunity to delve into
the mind of one of the photographers whose work was on display, Simphiwe ‘Vice’
Nene. To hear him talk about his work the way he did, what inspired each and
every one of his pieces, and what message he was trying to get across, showed
me how passionate he is about his work. For him, it’s not just a hobby or a
means of making money; it’s a lifestyle, a way for him to get his point across,
amongst many other things.
As my day visit to the exhibition drew to an end, I got to
fully grasp what Zanele Mashumi’s intentions were when she started Mashumi Art
Projects. Not only does MAP serve the purpose of developing and giving local
artists the exposure that they rightfully deserve, it’s also creating a
culture. A culture where the youth are nurtured and given the opportunity to
express themselves through art from a young age, and for art to stop being a
taboo in our townships.
The “Photography Meets Fine Art” exhibition has come
to an end and paves the way for the next one. In the spirit of women’s month,
the new exhibition features an all-female artist display. So do yourself a
favour and go check it out so you can see for yourself why it has gotten me so
worked up about it. As for me, I know I definitely will be going again. Good
food, great atmosphere and the best and only art display you’ll find in Soweto,
who would want to say no to that?! From me to the MAP team, I say “SALUTE”!
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