Open-air exhibit a delight for budding artists

Etwatwa painter Sbusiso Thwala sat quietly in his chair as throngs of art lovers viewed his unique creations that highlighted the struggles faced by SA after 30 years of democracy in a whimsical open-air gallery at the Ekurhuleni Arts Showcase in Daveyton on November 30.

Thwala’s pieces showcased his frustrations as a young man growing up in a democratic SA still plagued by racial issues.

Explaining his main piece, which shows a jug watering a flower with colours of the national flag, Thwala said the six rainbow colours were the cause of the racial divisions in the country.

“Colour means we are different and this difference creates a gap. Maybe our flag should be grey because it’s a mixture of black and white. Colours bring separation and that’s the main problem because we don’t see each other as one. We only see colour,” he said.

The artist dreams of living in a South Africa where one’s skin tone doesn’t matter and wants his painting to encourage people to see beyond skin colour.

“We aren’t watering our togetherness as a nation. Coming out of the jug are the colours of our flag. That’s why other people don’t see us as one. They see us as black, coloured, Indians and white. We are watering a plant that will never grow.”

Thwala started painting as a youngster and wants to see his work displayed in some of the biggest galleries in the world.

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“When I’m in the studio painting, it’s the only time I’m myself. I’m also a dancer. When I’m doing art, I’m at my happiest place,” he said.

Creative recycling

Zola Sibeko, from the Daveyton Environment Youth Council, showcased some of the organisation’s art made from recycled waste, themed Turning waste into art.

Some of the work depicted everyday township life including a group of young men playing a game of dice and a Saturday morning funeral procession to the graveyard.

“We do creative recycling. We make art out of recycled material to help reduce pollution and assist our government in fighting illegal dumping. We also raise awareness that not everything should end in the bin or landfills.” Sibeko said.

He urged the community to stop littering, saying, “Let’s stop polluting our environment and rather plant trees.

“As environmental activists, anything we see in the streets is not waste. It’s something we can convert into art and resell to generate an income.”

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