Art museum extends Jackson Hlungwani’s exhibition
The Polokwane Art Museum has decided to give art lovers more time in which to view Jackson Hlungwani's exhibition, which would have ended last week.
POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Art Museum has decided to give art lovers more time in which to view Jackson Hlungwani’s exhibition, which would have ended last week.
People can still visit the exhibition up until March 28. The decision to extend the length of time in which Hlungwani’s works are on display, was made after the works of Hlungwani, who came from the former Gazankulu and died in 2010, proved to be extremely popular with visitors. His work has never been exhibitied in Limpopo before, according to the art museum’s curator, Amos Letsoalo.
Hlungwani’s mine-worker father taught him how to carve household objects and to work with iron. When he was 18 years old, Hlungwani went to Johannesburg to find work. There he had an accident, lost his finger, and was retrenched. He returned home where he continued to work in the industrial sector. Hlungwani also had a strong religious calling and in 1946 he was ordained into the African Zionist Church.
His most significant artwork was an acropolis constructed in Mbhokota village, 38 kilometres from Makhado. Hlungwani spent most of his life carving wooden sculptures.
“Even though most of his work is made of wood, Hlungwani never believed in cutting down trees. He never cut down trees to make his sculptures, he used dead wood from trees that died from natural causes,” Letsoalo said.
“We are very lucky to have this exhibition here. Most museums want this exhibition, and it has been exhibited in other countries as well. These are his most unique works, which were collected from private collectors all over the country, as well as Wits Art Museum, and Johannesburg Art Museum.”
