Westdene’s African treasure
Artist sells a R40000 portrait at the Afrikan Freedom Station art gallery.
Freedom artist Steve Mokwena has sold one of his masterpieces for R40 000 at his Afrikan Freedom Station AFS art gallery in Westdene.
Mokwena named the art piece Mr Nkabinde as it is a portrait in honour of the late Mbhaqanga music legend Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde. According to Mokwena, he wanted to bestow dignity upon the late musician’s musical brilliance.
The process of producing the portrait took the artist two months. “A painting is like a song, it transmits energy and it moves,” he said.
Mokwena (47) has a history degree and a masters in development studies from Leeds University in the United Kingdom, and has worked around the world for different NGOs.
The Westdene resident said he was taking the idea of freedom to another level in his gallery which he expressed in all his paintings. He described freedom as something that is not given to one by someone else. “Freedom is a condition of being human and expressing how you feel, I express myself in all my art pieces.”
Like many artists Mokwena lives with self-doubt in terms of his art work and he questions himself whether his work speaks to people.
On weekends the gallery on 5th Avenue hosts intimate live music with a heavy emphasis on jazz and it has become a gathering space for creative minds at the edge of Sophiatown. Its doors are open every day of the week until late for viewing, learning and engagement. Details: www.afrikanfreedomstation.co.za
