The African Art Centre has an excellent exhibition that combines its dual goals of nurturing creative talent in the province and parlaying said talent into livelihood.
? Birds of a Feather showcases the fruits of an innovative project in which the centre’s development team joined forces with interior designer Pippa Whittle to facilitate several workshops on the theme of birds. Leonie Malherbe, Xolile Ndlovu and Tholakele Mdakane have produced a distinctive range of embroideries; Sibusiso Gumede has created superbly handcrafted traditional burnt wood sculptures and mobiles; and Xolani Buthelezi and Mxosheni Sokhela have produced brilliantly coloured hard-wire baskets and coasters. A highlight of the exhibition is a range of three-dimensional telephone-wire birds produced by Innocent Hlela, Richard Maphumulo, Ceaser Mkhize, Dumisani Mthethwa and Lindelani Ndinisa. An assortment of contemporary telephone-wire jewellery products in modern, bright colours has been especially crafted by Jabulani Mkhize.
African Art Centre, 94 Florida Road, until October 8. Tel: 031 303 4634 Email: [email protected]. Website: www.afriart.org.za.
? The KwaZulu-Natal Society for the Arts Gallery this week unveils two contemporary art exhibitions. Learnt in Translation is a show by architect Peter Rich, who is acclaimed worldwide for his dedication to a revolutionary contemporary African architecture that creates meaningful, moving and uplifting places and spaces for all who occupy them. The exhibition traces the development of Rich’s work to date and includes drawings, models and photographs of completed projects as well as design development sketches. Withdrawings is the title of the first — and highly anticipated — exhibition by Andrew Nair, whose singular collection of exquisitely rendered pencil drawings has been more than 10 years in the making.
KZNSA Gallery, 166 Bulwer Road, until September 30. Tel: 031 277 1705. Website: www.kznsagallery.co.za.