Thomarts Gallery recently took part in Turbine Art Fair, which was online with viewing rooms from many other local galleries and art spaces. Mandisi Mncela’s debut, ‘Imiyalezo Yabadala’ was our offering to the Turbine Art fair. With the art fair running its course, is now available for socially distanced viewing at Thomarts Gallery, Morningside shopping centre. He specialises in portraiture and figure works which express his inspiration with African history, spirituality and religion. Mncela currently works in his studio in Nyanga and is represented exclusively by our gallery. Thomarts Gallery’s mandate in business is to bring a fresh, artistic and innovative approach to its services.
With the art world adapting fast to bring art to our screens at home, recreating exhibitions, art studio, and canvas in the virtual world, will online platforms kill art fairs? With such a slew of new ways to experience art at home, it remains to be seen which will stand the test of time. However, it has been a useful exercise to view art in a different environment, without a crowd or unaccompanied by in-person acknowledgment, with more room for careful consideration and time for contemplation. And despite some of these online initiatives working more effectively than others, it is a testament to the art world’s resilience and the ever-creative methods industry traders are employing in an effort to keep their businesses going forward.
On our upcoming calendar, we have been proudly granted a grant by the National Arts Council, in response to our art workshops based in the Mpumalanga. These workshops were created as a means to connect rural-based artists and art students from schools of that locality.
This project sponsored by the National Arts Council is called “Collaboruralation’ and it involves a collaboration with these raw and young artists with me Nkosinathi Thomas Ngulube. I will work remotely through ZOOM, as a manner of social distancing. The artworks that I will create in my studio here in Johannesburg will then be couriered to the artists and they will work over or within what I have created. After three months, I will then join these artists and finish up the artworks in one-on-one sessions with the artists. Both completed artworks will be signed by the artists alongside my signature. The exhibition of these works is set for April 2021 at Thomarts Gallery.
Nkgadi Sheena-Leigh Ngulube, the Thomarts Gallery Director will take the artists on a journey of discovery on the ins and outs of how artists should write artist’s statements, art biographies and other essential-business ‘’How Tos’’ in the career of art.
I am more than thrilled for this initiative.
Watch this space soon for more details.