 LALLITHA JAWAHIRILAL African River Climbing Alone One Night |
 LALLITHA JAWAHIRILAL Oh South Africa, Better be Quick, Times are Wild |
Artist's Statement
Lallitha Jawahirilal is a painter and a lecturer from Kwa-Zulu Natal, born and raised in Ladysmith, she studied art in London where she received a first class honours in fine art from Camberwell
School of art and a masters degree from the Royal college, London Her education was funded by the Inner London Education Authority and the Africa Education Trust. She has taught in various institutions including the University of Durban, Westville, South Africa and Monash University, Australia. Presently she lives between South Africa and India. Jawahirilal has exhibited locally and internationally She is represented in many public collections in South Africa Europe Australia, and India Her academic research activities includes 'The role of public art in a post apartheid society' with greater reference to the greater Ladysmith area, and a photographic documentary titled; Puddled Sand and Red Ashes, in two parts on Kumbh Mela, India and cave art, roadside art in the greater Himalayan area.
Her inspiration comes from the energy that emanates from South Africa, London, and India. Her love of nature forms the essence of her work, childhood memories of rolling hills and the wildlife that inhabited the surface in her work, my early years were spent in solitude, playing near the river or in the hills. She was born during the apartheid era, and her work reflects the spiritual motivation and energy generated by the African masses during the fight for freedom " by African I don't mean a particular race, but refer to all those that were involved in the struggle for freedom, to create a sharing and caring community" Her inspiration from her mixed media and conceptual work is drawn from activity and energy that comes from cosmic consciousness, I spend many hours in solitude and meditation, and since childhood have lived in this Divine Light. She lived in London until 94 and then returned to South Africa. M any of her titles "Manna I can console you" "The Exile returns" And then there was flood "refer to this period.
Her work plays with colour, images and poetry:
Black girl, brown stones BROWN GIRL, BLACK STONES, crossing midnight, a beautiful SILENCE, I crouch on hind legs then cross on a bridge, SILVER AND GOLD. Who knows which way my soul is fleeing yesterday was like many strange dreams, TODAY A BEAUTIFUL WHITE LIGHT FLOODS THE BELOVED COUNTRY. Many countless souls have passed this was, How to continue, live with the snakes, dip my feet in wild waters, COME, LET US CROSS.
Presently she lives in Puttarpathy, Prasanthinilayam, Haridwar and Ladysmith, SOUTH AFRICA. When night falls, winds breeze forth oh Lord of the universe, where do I go from here. COME, LET US CONTINUE.
Biography
Art Education
1984 - 87 BA Hons Fine Art, First Class Honours, Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts
1987 - 89 MA (RCA) Painting, Royal College of Art, London
Lectureship
1994 - 2000 Fine Art and History of Art, University of Durban-Westville
2001 Monash University, Caulfield Campus, Melbourne, Australia
U.D.W., School of Education (part - time lecturer)
BAT Centre, Painting lecturer (part - time)
Research
1994 - 96 Public Art Research. Title: "The Role of Public Art in a Post - Apartheid Society with Special reference to the Greater Ladysmith Area."
1997 Part ll - "The Role of Public Art in a Post - Apartheid society with special reference to the Greater Ladysmith Area."
1998 "Puddled Sand and Red Ashes" - a photographic documentary on the Kumba Mela" - India (complete)
1999 "Puddled Sand and Red Ashes" - Part ll - Cave Art, temple art, and roadside art in the Greater Himalayan Region
2000 Puddled Sand and Red Ashes - showcased at the International Association for the History of Religions Conference - Durban
2004 Design of Mosaic, Ladysmith Town Hall - S.Africa
Solo Exhibitions
1985 Africa Centre, Stockholm
1990 198 Gallery, London
1990 Gallery 21, Johannesburg
1991 Galerie Trapez, Berlin
1994 New Academy Gallery, London
1996 New Academy Gallery, London
1999 Curwen Gallery, London
2001 Monash University Faculty Gallery, Australia
2002 Greatmore Studios, Cape Town
Selected Group Exhibitions
1986
Royal Festival Hall
1987 - 88
Third International Biennial Print Exhibition, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan
1988 - 89 Open to Print, The National Student Printmaking Competition, Touring Show
1989
Group Show - Market Theatre, SA (prize winner)
1989
Art/89, The Fourth International Contemporary Art Fair, London,
Olimpia
Royal College of Art degree Show
Staffrider Exhibition at Market Theatre, Johannesburg
Dagmar Gallery, London, Group Show
Whitechapel Open Exhibition
London Group, Royal College of Art
Delfina Studios, Summer Show
1990
Art/London 90, London Olimpia
Annual Group Show, Delfina Studios
50 Cents Water, Homerton Hospital, Hosted by Waterchapel Art
Gallery
Contemporary Art Society, Art Market, Smith Gallery, London
Broadgate, Group Show hosted by Whitechapel Art Gallery
Whitechapel Open Exhibition
Delfina Studio, Summer Show
1991
Art/London 91, London Olimpia
Show at tricycle Gallery - Being Here And There (Four South
African Artists), London
Art Express - Mall Gallery, London
Discerning Eye, Mall Gallery, Tim Hilton Selected Artist - Art
Critic from the Guardian (prize winner), London
Barcelona International Biennal, Spain
1992
Group Show, New Academy Gallery, London
Group Show, Gallery Taller de Arte, Madrid, London
1993
Group Show organized by Nairi Sahakien, London
Group Show organized by Sylvie Vaughan, London
Group Show at New Academy Gallery, London
1994
Group Show with Coode Adam Martins, London
1995
SPLASH, a contemporary water-colour exhibition organized by
Walsall Museum Art Gallery. Traveled throughout UK in 1995
1996
Conjures, group show curated by Niel Dundas, First Gallery,
Johannesburg
Atlanta Olympics, three works chosen to be exhibited in the
Atlanta
Municipal Gallery during the Olympics, Atlanta, USA
Group show at Labia Gallery, Cape Town
Group show at Grahamstown Festival (work catalogued)
Group show: Pietermaritzberg Festival
Group show: Waterfront - Cape Town
In Prize-winner show at the mall Gallery, London
1997
Group show: NSA Gallery
Group show: Empangeni Museum
Group Show: Newcastle Museum
Group show: Natal Technikon
Group show: Waterfront - Cape Town
Permanent collection: Ladysmith Cultural Centre
Trienalle - Lalit Kala Academy - India
1998
Kunst Aus Suda Afrika (women's voice), Gallerie Sieppel,
Stuttgart, an international Women's show
"Gandhi Revisited" - Durban Art Gallery
Bay Hotel and Nico Malan, Cape Town
Group Show at the New Castle Museum
1999
Bay Hotel and Nico Malan, Cape Town
2000
Bristol-myers Squibb Secure The Future TM Project- International
Convention Centre, Durban
The International Association For the History of Religions
18th Quinquennial Congress: ICC, Durban
Jabulisa - Art of KZN - Travelling
Heritage - Durban Art Gallery
Group Show, African Art Center
2001
Racism Conference - showcased work at Durban International
airport, to travel to Parliament, Pretoria.
Group Exhibition - Jabulisa - Art of KZN - Travelling
2003
Journeys - Georgia State University, Ernest G. Welsh School of
Art and Design Galleries, Atlanta (Travelling show)
Journey (Art on Paper), Melville, SA
2004
The ID of South African Artists, Fortis CircusTheatre,
Scheveningen, Amsterdam
Decade of Democracy Exhibition, South African National Gallery
(SANG), Cape Town, South Africa
2005
Designed 30 feet wall in Ladysmith, South Africa
Group show river festival Lady Smith South Africa
2006
Art Camp - Mumbai Renaissance Art Centre, India
Colours of Life, Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
Awards and Scholarships
1987-89 African Education Trust Scholarship, London
1989-91 Delfina Studios Trust Residency, London
1989 Staffrider Merit Award, South Africa
1989-90 African Education trust Award, London
1991 Discerning Eye Award, Mall Gallery, presented by Duchess of
York Modern Painters Subscription Award
1992 Pollock Krasner Award, USA
1994 Elizabeth Foundation Award, USA
1995 Citation award from the mayor of Ladysmith for the project:
"Nation-building in a Post Apartheid Society in the greater Ladysmith Area"
1997 Footprints on permanent display at the opening of Ladysmith
Cultural Center
Art Residencies
1989 Workshops in SA, Artists in Residence at ACC, Johannesburg
1989-1992 Delfina Studios, London
1992-1994 Maryland Studios, London (run by Delfina)
1991 Karl Hofer Gesellscraft, Berlin
1992 Casa Manilva, Spain
1995 Lecturer in Fine Art and History of Art, UDW
1994-2000 Artist in Residence
2001 Artist in Residence and Lectureship programme, Monash
University, Australia (February 29-June 2, 2001)
Thupelo International - Cape Town
2002 Caversham Press - International - KZN
2002 Greatmore Studios - Cape Town
Public Collections
SA National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg
Lord Gowrie, London
Delfina Entraconales, London, Spain
Collections from UK, USA, and South Africa
Lady Bingham (Chief Justice Minister: UK) - London
Authur Anderson - London
Cape National Gallery - Cape Town
Newcastle Museum
Public Collection - Germany
Public Collection - Australia
Monash University - Australia
Nelson Mandela Foundation - South Africa
KPMG - South Africa
South African Treasury - South Africa
Spear Group - South Africa
Van Den Ende Collection - Holland
Reviews
1987 Thusa (SA Publication), London
1989 Staffrider Magazine (Ravan Press), South Africa
1990 Asian Times, London
City Limits, London
Hot Properties, Magazine, London
Independent, London
The Guardian, London
The Sunday Times, London
1991 Evening Standard, London
The Guardian, London
Local Anzerger, Berlin
1992 Ladysmith Gazette, South Africa
What's On, London
1994 South African Times, London
The Sunday Tribune, South Africa
1995 Post Natal, South Africa
Sunday Times, South Africa
Mail on Saturday, South Africa
Leader, South Africa
Ladysmith Gazette, South Africa
Ladysmith Mirror, South Africa
Impressions, Television Programme, South Africa
1996 SABC: Good Morning South Africa
1998 Impressions, SABC
Ladysmith gazette
Sunday Times
1999 Jury member and Advisor for Elizabeth Foundation - USA
(Advisor)
Daimler-Chrysler, Seippel Gallery, Germany: July member
(Advisor)
2001 Monash News, Australia
Leader, South Africa
Herald, South Africa
2002 SAfm (Woman Today) interviewed by Nancy Richards
Outreach and Community Projects
1984 Founder member and member of Management Committee of the
Pan African Refugee Housing Co-Op (London)
1985 Founder member of the Refugee Women's Art Collective, London
1986 Saturday art workshops over a period of 1 year on the Kaligor Art
Project, East End, London.
1986 Artist in residence and cultural worker at Africa Cultural Center,
Johannesburg.
1986-87 Researched on Art from a Black Perspective - a paper later
produced for the Royal College of Art.
1987 Thusa Project - Brixton, London
1987 Member of Management Committee, Jenako Arts Project, London.
1987 Researched and produced a video "Exile" (exiled SA artist).
Video showed at Bracknell Film Festival.
1999 Daimler-Chrysler Award: July member and Artist selector - South
Africa
2000 Co-ordinator of art exhibition and cultural desk, International
association for the History of Religions: Durban
2001 Co-ordinator of project at Greatmore Studios - Cape Town in
collaboration with African Cultural Centre - Johannesburg. This
workshop involved 10 children from Masibambisane SS in a
painting workshop around childrens' rights and abuse which was
showcased at Parliament and in the Greatmore Studios Gallery.
2002 Lunchtime Talk - (Role of Public Art in South Africa), South
African National Gallery. Organized by the friends of
2002 Lunchtime lecture, Michealis Lecture Theatre
Artworks Catalogued and Published in the Following Magazines / Catalogues
Women's voice - (Kurst aus Sudafrika) - Stuttgart - 1998
Ninth Triennale - India - 1997
Contemporary South African Art 1985-1995 -1996-97
Jabulisa - The Art of Kwa-zulu Natal - 1996
Exploring New Horizons - USA - 1996
Stuttgart meets Durban/ Durban meets Stuttgart
Art Review - London - 1996
Common and Uncommon Ground - South African Art to Atlanta - 1996
Maritzburg Arts Festival - 1996
Jabulisa - the Art of Kwa-Zulu Natal - 1996
Art Review - London - 1996
Galleries - London - 1996
Galleries - 1994
The Delfina Studio Trust at Barcelona Olympics -1993
Art Express Catalogue, Mall Galleries - London -1991
The Delfina Studio Trust - Catalogued - London - 1991
The Discerning Eye - Malls Galleries Catalogue - UK - 1991
The Green Contemporary Art Sale - UK - 1991
Art London 90 - Catalogue of the 5th Contemporary Art Fair -
London, Olympia - 1990
The London Group - 1989
Royal College of Art Catalogue - 1989
Open to Print - 1988
THUSA - 1987
The African Art Centre, KZN 1960 - 2000
Published in Cross Contemporary Art Practice in South Africa - 2000
Murals of South Africa - 2002