CRAFT: A South African artisan knits a basket live at the exhibition. Photos by Umer Nangiana

A five-day exhibition of South African art and craft organised by the
embassy featured works of artists and artisans besides fashion designers
coming from different parts of South Africa, writes Umer Nangiana

With characteristic inventiveness, South Africans have adapted every possible medium to create a market for art and handicraft that fuels the interest of both locals and a large influx of tourists that enters the country every year.
Besides standard materials, the art pieces are made using unorthodox resources such as telephone wire, plastic bags, petrol cans and bottle tops and even food tin labels are used to create brightly coloured paper mache bowls.
A mix of such traditional handicraft besides a collection of paintings from various artists in South Africa were exhibited at the recently concluded five-day exhibition of South African art and craft organised by the South African embassy in Doha, Nando’s and South African Department of Art and Culture.
Officially opened by the visiting South African Deputy Minister of Art and Culture TR Mabudafhasi, the exhibition featured works of artists and artisans besides fashion designers coming from different parts of South Africa. Some of the artists themselves were present to brief a large audience at the Souq Waqif Art Centre about their works and collection.
Sa’ad Cachalia, South Africa’s ambassador to Qatar, while introducing the artists to the audience comprising members of diplomatic corps and artists’ community in Doha at the opening of the exhibition said from traditional to commercial, South Africa’s arts and culture are as varied as one might expect from such a diverse nation.
The country’s people produce a remarkable range of arts and crafts, working from the pavements and markets of the big cities to deep rural enclaves, with every possible form of traditional artwork, he said.
Nando’s invited young artist Khaya Sineyile from South Africa to be a part of the exhibition and to talk about his work at the workshop organised at Souq Waqif Art Centre. He works with oils and sometimes with materials like enamel, mostly painting portraits and figures.
“You cannot see the eyes here. I believe eyes are windows and when you see eyes you can really understand the person and what he or she thinks. It gives the emotion of the person like if he or she is caring,” Sineyile tells Community, pointing to his portrait painting on the showcase, on the opening day of the exhibition.  
“I have worked with this one with more somber, simple and peaceful colour. It is not that old. I painted it in 2003. I have created this texture by mixing stuff. I mix oil and crazy crack. It is a kind of process. Each and every day when you paint and leave the studio, something really great is happening,” he adds, referring to a rough surface texture of a painting which gives it a rugged look.
Sineyile has exhibited his artwork all over the world besides the corporate world and private collections. Sineyile, born in 1983, is a self-taught artist from Nyanga in the Western Cape.
Encouraged in his youth by an artistic uncle whom he helped with preparatory drawings for sculpted clay animals and wire cars, Sineyile had no formal training or even many employment opportunities.
He began selling his paintings on the street and honed his talent and skills at art workshops, finally attracting the attention of art galleries and collectors. Today, he has taken part in more than 20 group exhibitions nationally and internationally, and also held two solo exhibitions.
His intriguing painting style includes confident brush marks and a rawness which he contrasts with cartoon-like outlines; introducing an element of playfulness to the often loaded subject matter, which reflects his fascination with the innocent art of children.
Zizipho Poswa, a ceramicist from Cape Town representing the artisans’ community from South Africa, presented some of the most beautiful vases and ceramics pieces created by Imiso, the company she founded with her partner Andile Dyalvane.
Presenting works from multiple collections designed by Poswa and her partner, the exhibition features vases from one of the most attractive collections called ‘Scarified collection’. It is inspired by an ancient African tradition of body scarification.
Scarification is a practice used to recognise and protect an individual against negative spiritual and physical manifestations in the African milieu. The scarified pieces carry a strong spiritual message that resonates with the ambiance of interiors.
Andile, Poswa’s partner, through his design and artistic skills translates this tradition with unspeakable pride and honour in this collection. The minimalist nature of design and limited production thereof has been a key contributor to the popularity of this collection.
“These are vases and these are more for decoration but you can make them functional by putting flowers in them but we usually put them up for decoration as they are beautiful works of art,” Poswa tells Community.  
“The process of making them differs with different techniques. We use coiling, casting, throwing and sometimes hand pitching as well,” she explains.  
It is made from liquid clay which is poured into a mould and when it gets dry you can work on it and then you put in the oven to bake it before applying designs. The process of design and cuts happens when the clay is wet and painting occurs before it is put into oven.
Blessent, a fashion designer, presented special accessories in which some of the pieces were made from recycled materials and telephone wires.
“We are using 100 percent cotton and linen. We dye it to get that specific look and colours that we want and that is the typical African print and it has got the influence of the green alley in South Africa. It is something that you can actually buy as a material and then create your own design,” Blessent tells Community, pointing to a men’s jumpsuit which he claims you won’t find anywhere else.
“Some of these pieces are what we call the men inspired look on the female which both men and women can wear. Our heritage neck or head pieces are put on the top of the head; it is a Zulu-inspired accessory. Remember South Africa has 11 official languages and one of them is Zulu coming from the Zulu tribe,” explains the designer.
Coming from a family of fashion designers, Blessent says he drew inspiration from his mother, who was a dress-maker. “I used to sneak in there in her store and grab some material and do some designs with it. That is how it started,” he recalled.
He has exhibited his work at events such as the African Fashion Week and the New York Fashion Week, and is soon launching his own line of clothing.

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