The project, COLLABORURALATION is a coined-name that simply means “a collaboration in a rural setting” is about the 3 fine emerging self-taught artists, a group of 5 young artists who have won art awards before and have been involved in a successful show held in Mpumalanga and at Thomarts Gallery and 1 professional fine artist, Nkosinathi Thomas Ngulube. They will come together and build new innovative art pieces, using the painting and sculptures as mediums of expression, in a collaboration.
The approach of the project is to build up a body of work which will then be exhibited at Thomarts Gallery as both a digital art exhibition in a 360-photography format and viewed as well at the art gallery on an appointment basis if precautions for Covid-19 continue to apply. The focus of the theme will be the diversity of Language:
The Alphabet is like a seed which bears forth different languages that have a somewhat beauty that super cedes their origination. Thomarts Gallery has located these artists through the diversity of their languages. Inspired from the 26-letter alphabet, this collaboration is set to bring out the individuality of each artist and make a very interesting conversation expressed in an art dialogue.
The purpose of the collaboration with Ngulube will be to strengthen or build up on raw talent to be locally and internationally recognizable. As the professional artist of the project with a 20+ years-experience and have had his paintings and sculptures shown in various galleries, locally and internationally, Ngulube is rightfully able to claim his title and transfer his diverse skills, impart knowledge and assist young and emerging artists with a great potential to grow professionally. The first phase of the project is having a briefing session using Zoom and/or WhatsApp platforms to conceptualize the theme.; CONVERSATIONS WITH LANGUAGE.
Ngulube will use these social media platforms to connect with the artists in terms of demonstrating technically how he does the alphabet letter stencil and how they can choose independently how to sculpt, draw or paint an image to either distort the alphabet or work inspired by it: The artists will be given space and time to explore the theme and inspiration in this manner of creating the art: The 3 emerging artists each received 6 x 150 cm x 100 cm fabriano- alphabet letter-stencilled art works to create on and the 5 young artists received 1x 150 cm x 100 cm fabriano- alphabet letter-stencilled art works to create on and Ngulube worked solo only on 1 x 150 cm x 100 cm fabriano- alphabet letter-stencilled art work which he used in the video art workshop through Zoom or WhatsApp platform as a sample of his demonstration: This piece will be the only one that the artist does by himself and will form part of the 26 pieces of art. Each artist and the audience that will indulge in the artworks will get to explore issues pertaining to identity in contemporary South Africa through the lens of creating art. This is a project that seeks to celebrate who we are, our heritage and multi-lingualism.
Ngulube has implemented the entire twenty-six letters of the alphabet in various fonts on fabriano (100cm x 150cm), in the sample form of playing cards (but not entirely on every corner so that they are not very busy) and learning flash cards. Nkosi has designed the letters to complement elegant touch and that will be the surface point where each artist has collaborated with and begin their creations from.
The artists worked loosely and freely on the surface, individually, from the brief and demonstration that Nkosi gave them who have engage with my lettering through tangling with it, and/or impose over it and, and/or intertwine with it.
The physical collaboration involved Ngulube working with the artists, where he professionally balanced and polished each work as a finished product by either additive, subtracting means or as an enhancement process. He then honoured the artists to sign beside his signature and thumbprint. Nkosi’s vision welcomed the mental challenge, hands-on collaboration as a strong, creative and essential point of enhancing the artists’ techniques and uplifting their worth status in the art market.
Morningside is a proud sponsor and believes in collaborating with exciting artists.
For further information, contact Nkosinathi Ngulube on 083 897 7802 or visit the new premises located on the upper level next to Woolworths Café.