Local contemporary artists Themba Shabalala aims high

Contemporary South African artists wants to break through the market.

September 9, 2019

Obedience Mkhabela 1 minute read

Themba Shabalala addresses people during the Sandton IDC Group Exhibition.

Themba Shabalala, from Tembisa, is a contemporary South African artists who has devoted his time and effort in making art. During the past six years he has explored a variety of art mediums as an expressionist and impressionist.

He is an inquisitive being, open minded and always wants to be informed. Knowledge is his number one priority. He likes to be involved in community art projects as he was once a beneficiary of such projects and it impacted him positively. He invited The Tembisan to share his explorations and true meaning behind his art as he intends to market his work.

Shabalala said his work focuses on socio-political landscape that he grew under. How one’s day to day decisions can be obliged and shaped by the society and his work reflects one’s social spaces which he or she occupies.

Katiso Morapedi, a writer and a colleague, said Themba’s artworks speaks to humanity with clear understanding of what the painting means.

“I had a connection with this one because it symbolises our historical forgotten queens and mothers,” said Morapedi.

Katiso Morapedi, a writer and a colleague views Themba Shabalala’s work as she holds the portrait that she says reminds her of forgotten mothers.

Shabalala also said the work itself has a sense of individualism yet evoking or depicting a broader narrative whether dynamic or statically composed.

“My work is inspired from my personal experience. At the same time it seeks to communicate a broad view or public association about social life in general because somewhere, somehow, we are inevitably connected so there is a sense proximity in display,” added Shabalala.

He is an award-winner of Totem Art Competition in 2015. Shabalala is currently completing his second year studies at Artist Proof Studio. He is also a part-time art facilitator at a community art project called Trendsetter Youth Organisation and Curator and marketing strategist at Pipeline Art Gallery.

He has been featured in several group exhibitions.

“It is important for me to keep balance between my art creation and distribution in closing sales. How the art market or a system of marketing as a whole operates. This will equip me with the skill set to advance my art career into another level,” explains Shabalala.