David Koloane

David Nthubu Koloane
Born (1938-06-05)5 June 1938
Alexandra, South Africa
Nationality South African
Known for Drawings, Paintings, Collages

The artist David Nthubu Koloane was born on 5 June 1938 in the township of Alexandra, a suburb of Johannesburg in South Africa. In his drawings, paintings and collages he explores actual questions about political injustice and human rights. Koloane is considered "an influential artist and writer of the apartheid years" in South Africa.[1]

Life

David Koloane was born on 5 June 1938 in the township of Alexandra, a suburb of Johannesburg in South Africa. Already during high school he started being interested in art and doing art in his leisure time when not working to earn money for the family. From 1974 to 1977 Koloane attended art classes at the Bill Ainslie Studios, which later became the Johannesburg Art Foundation. In 1977, Koloane was one of the founding members of the first black gallery in South Africa, located in Johannesburg. His increasing dedication to art led him to start teaching at a high school in a township, first as a part-time job, later full-time. Also in the following years Koloane was very active and committed: in 1982, he co-curated the Culture and Resistance Arts Festival in Botswana, from 1986 to 1988 he was the curator of the Fuba Art Gallery in Johannesburg and in 1990 he co-ordinated and co-curated the Zabalaza Festivals in London, England. Additionally, Koloane studied at the University of London from 1984 to 1985 and received a diploma in museology.

David Koloane's works are part of many collections worldwide, including the collections of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, The Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) of Jean Pigozzi, the South African National Gallery in Cape Town and the Botswana National Museum.

Work philosophy

David Koloane has a wide-ranging work area: as artist, he always connects his own works to respective social controversies; furthermore, he contributed to various catalogues, curated exhibitions, was part of jury boards several times - amongst others in the advisory board of the National Arts Council -, and published many articles both in South Africa and internationally. In 1998, Koloane was honored by the government of the Netherlands with the Prince Claus Fund for his contribution to the development of art in South Africa.

He states about his work: "My concern in socio-political matters and contributions to the furtherance of disadvantaged black South African artists during and after the apartheid era is evident. My work can be said to reflect the socio-political landscape of South Africa both past and present. The socio political conditions created by the apartheid system of government have to a large extent transfixed the human condition as the axis around which my work evolves. The human figure has become the icon of creative expression".[2]

Exhibitions (selection)

Literature

Awards

External links

References

  1. ↑ Cotter, Holland (24 September 1999). "South Africans, Isolated No More". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  2. ↑ http://www.artprintsa.com/davidkoloane.html
  3. ↑ "Order of Proceedings", Rhodes University, 10 April 2015
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