‘I live and breathe it’: Sam Nhlengethwa moves his art into hotel setting

‘I paint what I like,’ says Sam Nhlengethwa on his first ever hotel exhibition.

More than three decades have passed since Nhlengethwa received the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Award in 1994 and he remains as committed as ever to his craft.

From the early days of apartheid-era protest art to post-democracy reflections on everyday life, the 70-year-old visual art legend’s style and themes have continued to evolve.

“I am an artist through and through. I cannot stop myself from thinking about art. I live art and breathe art.

“I have always worked with different themes. I’ve never been stuck to one form. Steve Biko said, ‘I write what I like.’ I can borrow that and say, ‘I paint what I like’,” Nhlengethwa told The Citizen.

Born in 1955 in Payneville, Springs, and raised in Ratanda near Heidelberg, Nhlengethwa is one of South Africa’s most celebrated visual artists.

His work captures the political shifts and everyday moments of life, often through the lens of jazz culture, urban landscapes, and social commentary.

He honed his skills at the Johannesburg Art Foundation under Bill Ainslie in the ’80s, before co-founding the Bag Factory Artists’ Studios in Newtown. There, he shared studio space with pioneering artists such as David Koloane and Pat Mautloa.

Nhlengethwa recently broke new ground with his latest showcase – and it’s not in a gallery.

For the first time, the artist is exhibiting in a hotel space, with his works on display at the Radisson RED in Rosebank.

Though initially hesitant, Nhlengethwa said the results exceeded his expectations.

“I didn’t know how the delivery of the project was going to look, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the billboard-style prints and how each space was allocated an artwork that perfectly suited it.”

Nhlengethwa said, unlike traditional white-cube galleries, the hotel offers a more dynamic setting where art interacts with daily life.

He highlighted that displaying art in accessible, everyday spaces can help spark a wider interest in visual arts.

“Some hotel guests may not usually visit galleries, but now they get to engage with artworks in public spaces like the reception, dining area or bar.

“I hope this experience encourages guests to move from being passive to active appreciators of art – maybe even collectors,” he said.

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Jazz, journeys and mentorship

Among the standout pieces in this unconventional exhibition is Nhlengethwa’s tapestry of jazz icon Miles Davis, his personal favourite.

His admiration for the music legend culminated in a solo exhibition titled Kind of Blue in 2009, paying tribute to Davis as his album of the same name turned 50.

“I have more Miles Davis albums than any other jazz artist. Every time I paint him, it feels like I’m listening to his trumpet,” he said.

Over the years, Nhlengethwa’s work has travelled the world, with solo and group exhibitions across Europe, the US, Africa and Asia.

He has featured at the Venice, Havana, Beijing and Cairo Biennales and is represented in major collections such as the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Durban Art Gallery, Iziko South African National Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and others.

Despite international acclaim, he said he remains deeply invested in developing young talent back home.

“I have been and still am involved in the mentoring of young artists – from high school-equivalent art students to practising artists.

As we speak, I am sponsoring an artist’s studio at the Bag Factory for a young black female artist in residence.

“This private sponsorship has been running for five years. Sometimes young people come and visit our house, where I have mini-workshops with them.”

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