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Click on the links below the thumbnails to view the full image with cataloguing For more information on the artist, see below
Biography Mtakatya was born on 30 April 1968 in Cape Town. He completed his education at Guguletu High School in 1986. An active member of the Cape Youth Congress he was detained in 1986. "I began scratching and drawing on the grey walls of the prison cell to relieve my frustration," says Mtakatya. In 1987 he was able to attend drawing lessons at the Community Arts Project in Woodstock part time. He graduated in a course in media and continued to study the visual arts part time. His interest led him to complete the four-year study of Fine Arts at The Foundation School of Art and receive his Diploma in Fine Arts in 1993. Since then he has been involved in community projects teaching children and adults in art and media workshops or participating as a practicing artist. In this capacity he taught screen-printing to unemployed mothers from the underprivileged areas such as Crossroads near Cape Town. He has assisted and convened workshops in the Boland and other rural areas organized by C.A.P. (Community Arts Project), the ANC and other progressive organizations in the Western Cape. Mtakatya established a successful studio workshop in Khayelitsha (Khaymep). He has also facilitated several fine art workshops for children and adults, (eg screen printing). Quote from the program of his solo exhibition at the AVA: "Mtakatya's pastels portray an episodic sequence of daily experiences. Life is like street theatre, he says, with a lot of improvisation. Life is love, betrayal, is lust, and is colourful, he continues. One needs to look behind curtains and under the carpet! Then one will see the sequence of the episodes of life." With his vibrant colour combinations, his well-developed draftmanship, his strong sense of line and his engaging African characters who are caught in typical local adventures, he harmonises the scenes in his work, filling them with warmth to feed his soul and build his inner strength. Exhibitions 2005 Part of the Group exhibition "Encompass" at the Cape Gallery A solo exhibition at the AVA entitled "Episodes" 2004 Wits university 2002 Thapong Workshop exhibition in Botswana 2001/2 Thupelo workshop exhibitions 2000 First solo exhibition (sponsored by AVA) 1999 The Annexe of SANG Agender 21 Mural Global in Germany 1997 Participated in a group exhibition held in the Robben Island Museum 1995 Manyano in Argentina 1994 Exhibited in a show entitled "Siyawela" exhibited in Birmingham and London, England 1991 Travelling exhibition at The Center for African Studies, U.C.T. The Royal Festival Hall in London The Aberdeen City Art Gallery The Bolton art gallery 1990 Mead Gallery University in Warwick Exhibited at the Museum for Modern Art in Oxford, England Group Show at Manenberg Peoples Centre 1995 Participated in a group show 'Manyano' with four other artists in Azul, Argentina 1993 - 4 Commissioned to paint a 14,66 x 8,23 m mural by the Nico Malan Opera Theatre addressing the issues of urbanization past and present 1993 Solo graduation show at The Foundation School of Art, Cape Town 1992 Exhibited in a group show at the Mayibuye Centre, University of Western Cape 1988 'Eye of an Artist' Guguletu "Art End Conscription" at Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town Took part in a four-man show in 'Augsburg International' 1987 C.A.P. One Day Group Show He has collaborated with several artists such as Louis Jansen van Vuuren, Wiseman Zwane, Tamlin Blake, Velile Soha, Claudia Francia and Uta Gobbel Gross, amongst others. His work hangs in the public collections of SA Breweries, Nando's in London, Old Mutual, Niedersachsichs Bildunginitiativen Hanover, Germany and Spier. In 1993 he was commissioned by the Nico Malan Opera House ( now Artscape ) to paint a mural, addressing issues of urbinization. He has also worked in Germany for several months at a time, participating in workshops and painting murals there. © 2007 All rights reserved. Origination by Di Conradie. |
