The South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA)

PROJECTS

A grand Indian – South African cultural event

An exhibition of art works by Indian and South African artists

This year, the arrival 150 years ago of the first Indian settlers in South Africa is commemorated. 

To mark this event, the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA) in collaboration with the Centre for the Exposition of World Arts and Culture in Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Andra Pradesh, exhibited selected South African artworks together with works by Hyderabadi artists in the magnificent Chowmohalla Palace, Seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and private property of the Nizam of Hyderabad.  The exhibition, held at the end of July this year, was a tremendous success and aroused much media and public interest.

To reciprocate, SANAVA in conjunction with the Association of Arts Pretoria, now brings the Hyderabad exhibition to Pretoria.  This exhibition of Indian and South African art works runs from 4 to 16 September 2010 in the Association’s Mackie Street art gallery and is opened on Saturday 4 September 2010 at 18:30 for 19:00. 

Two participating and distinguished Hyderabadi artists, Hanumantha Rao Devulapalli and Aziz  will be in attendance.  Works by the venerable Dr Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao, famous for his Chinese “wash technique” as well as works by other well-known Hyderabadi artists are on display.

The Hyderabad works depict a wide variety of subjects, mythology, epics, historical events and also daily life.  They represent images of modern Indian art rarely to be seen in South Africa. 

The theme of the South African exhibition is “Land: Diversity and Unity”.   It was co-curated by Gwen Miller from Unisa.  These works, by some of our foremost artists are on sale and demonstrate the diversity of the South African terrain, including geographical, industrial and urban sites and the identities of the

people who inhabit them.  Since they all embrace the same land and are inspired by a shared sense of place, they engage with a notion of unity.

         

 

 

 

Association of Arts Pretoria
173 Mackie Street, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretoria

Tel:  012 346 3100
www.artsassociationpta.co.za

Past Exhibitions

An exploration of the Southern African Geography
a unique art project and a South African first

The landscape, physical as well as metaphorical, is a vital source of artistic inspiration since the artist, like all persons, lives consciously or subconsciously, in a direct relationship with and constant awareness of her or his environment. Eighteen creative artists, some very prominent others less-known but also extremely talented, were invited by the Association of Arts Pretoria in collaboration with the SA National Association of the Visual Arts (SANAVA) to present through the creative use of the video their impressions and feelings around the theme of the “human being within a landscape or mindscape environment”  The result  was a potpourri of fascinating video glimpses reflecting a whole range of highly individualistic moods, feelings and other exciting artistic expressions.  The overall objective of this project was not only to challenge the artists to create original and personal video images but also to allow viewers the opportunity to explore and to look anew at the wonders of our South African geographies.

      

      

      

          

 

     

Izimbali Arts Expo:
Radiante Alagne, Drini Jacob, Nikki MaHerry and ceramics by the Magwaza sisters
15 May 2010 to 5 June 2010

Radiante Alagne is a young multi-talented Mozambique artist and grandson of the legendary national artist Malangatana Valente Ngwenya.  He started to paint in 1992.  Since then he held a number of exhibitions in his homeland and overseas and receive several awards.  His highly individualist paintings combine bold and intricate designs with subtle colour shadings.  They stretch over a whole gamut of emotions, from deep tenderness and compassion to intense grief and constrained revolt.  They are complex yet simple, they do not leave the viewer untouched.  To supplement this exhibition, there is also a display of the most original ceramics of the well-known Magwaza Sisters from Zimbabwe as well as expressive oil paintings by Drini Jacob and Nikki MaHerry.

Izimbali Arts and Crafts
37 Fourie Street
Ermelo

Tel:  017 819 4822

Gallery Hours
Monday to Friday:  9:00 to 17:00
Saturday:  15:00 to 20:00

 

      

  

Exhibition from the Republic of China
1 September 2009 to 21 September 2009

Alliance Française Cape Town
155 Loop Street
Cape Town
Tel +27 - (0)21 423 5699
Fax +27 - (0)21 423 57 04
capetown@alliance.org.za

 

 

The South African National Association for the Visual Arts has arranged a series of exhibitions, in collaboration with some of its branches and galleries, to showcase contemporary works of art by four eminent visual artists from the Republic of China.   We pay tribute to Mr Shen Ming, Second Secretary (Culture) of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, who in his personal capacity rendered invaluable assistance in promoting the project.

Thirty-eight works by Zhang Zhengming (Deputy Editor, The Fine Arts Pictorial Magazine, Nanjing), Cai Guangbin (Professor, College of Art & Design, Shanghai), Liu Guofu (Curator of the Quinge Museum of Contemporary Art, Nanjing), and Lu Yunhua (member of the Chinese Artists’ Association and Vice-President of the Artists’ Association of Pu Dong New District, Shanghai) are to be exhibited under the heading ‘Overbrim the East’ by the East London Fine Art Society (ELFAS) in the Ann Bryant Art Gallery from 25 April to 16 May 2009.   The exhibition, while in East London, is complemented by an exhibition by members of ELFAS.   It will be followed by exhibitions hosted by the Eastern Province Society of Arts & Crafts, Port Elizabeth (23 May to 13 June), the Knysna & Plettenberg Bay Art Group in the Knysna Art Gallery (17 June to 11 July), and the Breytenbach Cultural Centre, Wellington (15 July to 6 August).  

After a brief visit to Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Chinese artists, accompanied by an interpreter, Ms Zhu Qinghua (artist and lecturer, University for Science & Technology, Shanghai), attended the opening of the event in East London.   Cordial words of welcome were addressed to the visitors by Anton Loubser (National President of SANAVA), Terry Flynn (Chairman of ELFAS), Leon du Preez (Curator of the Ann Bryant) and Barry Gibb (former Chairman of ELFAS and well-known, ready-witted speaker on art history.   The following are excerpts from Barry’s address:

“…South Africans always had a great admiration and appreciation of traditional Chinese art.   It had an unattainable perfection about it.   Who could paint a flower like a Chinese painter who devoted his life to specialising in painting those flowers or blades of grass with such devotion. Or who could render mountains with such height and an amazing vertical range in their pictures; usually by letting their peaks appear through the mist covered lower slopes and placing miniaturised objects below to give scale to the peak above.

But how is China presented to-day on film; very aggressively with evil oriental triads being taken apart by Jackie Chan.   I expected to see some Kung Fu paint application in their pictures.   Chai, in his synopsis, wrote that Eastern art with its free, flowing brushwork was more metaphysical, differing from Western art which was more empirically physical and plastic.   In the film, ‘Pale-face’, Bob Hope sang “East is East and West is West and the wrong one I have chose”.

This was the case with a number of western artists like Mark Toby who moved out of mainstream western art to go East and study oriental calligraphy, their free brush-marks leading on to American Expressionism.   The difference was that the Chinese painting involved a spiritual content relating to ancient Chinese religions like Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.   The western Abstract Expressionists had a strong psychological content, searching their inner depths for their true selves.

In time they reacted against that innerism (as Tom Wolff called it) to the objects of the outer world to Pop Art.   Some reacted by looking to the East in a Zen “What’s out there” mode, like John Cage and his four minutes and thirty odd seconds of silence at the piano so that the audience, listening for something, would become aware of the sounds out there; in the street, country, etc as music, but more likely the noises and coughing in the auditorium.

But they went too far out there beyond the object altogether, so that it was only the idea that counted.   Putting it on canvas was considered a perfunctory procedure.   That took care of the value of the practical, personal skills involved in expressing the idea through a plastic medium as in sculpture in the round or with paint or ink on canvas or paper.   So, during the 1960s, so-called Conceptual Art set in and Andy Warhol could say “Look Ma, no hands” as the idea was expressed through prints, photographs, words and anything that allowed the artist to say “What a clever boy am I”.   Art became purely cerebral.   The Absa l’Atelier winner last year produced a plastic bed.   What the precious idea behind it was, I have yet to discover.

It was one of many immaculate conceptions where the artist did not have to touch the messy stuff.   In China according to Chai, from the 70s to the 90s Chinese art opened up to the world out there with scenes of everyday life.   But during the first decade of the 20^th century, artists have looked back to Chinese traditions in art and worked at updating them, attempting to recapture the spiritual content inherent in Chinese art through the centuries.   This involved a persona expressiveness in the application of traditional media in an updated manner; an art that flowed from the artist’s psyche through his brush to the canvas or paper.   In western conceptual art, personally expressive techniques have been sacrificed to the cerebral ego.

In the curricula vitae of these four artists, I see that all have been involved in exhibitions relating to China to-day, even though Zhang Zhengmin and Chai Guangbin graduated in traditional Chinese painting using largely traditional ink and wash techniques.   In 2004, they had an ink and wash exhibition for artists born in the nineteen sixties.   These four artists are all in their forties.   Lu Yunhua  and Liu Guofu have specialised in oil painting.   All of these artists have been invited to exhibit in national and international exhibitions and won various awards.   To be chosen to exhibit in a national exhibition in a country the size of Lesotho, would be not too great an achievement, but considering the size and population of China it is equivalent to being selected for an international exhibition anywhere else.   So, before us it seems we are privileged to meet with four of China’s leading artists.   Enjoy them and their work”.

"Overbrim the East"

From the very beginning of civilization, eastern and western art differed because of different modes of thought created by cultures.  Traditionally Eastern art emphasizes freehand painting and figurative plastic art is more emphasized in the west. 

However, with the trend of economic globalization, art has also been internationalized as well in the 21^st century. No matter if from west or east, contemporary art stresses art conceptions and individual expressions of the mind, as well as diverse values of human cultures. Contemporary art has been innovating art form and exploring deep spiritual fields.

Chinese contemporary art has been developing along with China's reform and opening-up in the late 1970's. In the early 1980's, Chinese contemporary art critically examined contemporary life and matured gradually in the 1990's. Nowadays, there is a trend that Chinese contemporary art studies traditional culture, including spiritual elements, art form and Chinese pattern. This trend to go back to national and eastern culture shows that the identity of Chinese contemporary art is transforming to link up with traditional Chinese aesthetics.

The four artists of this exhibition are from Shanghai and Nanjing, two metropolises of the old but modern country China. Their works represent a certain type of Chinese contemporary art to some degree. Although they adopted different art methods and materials, the Chinese characteristic themes, thoughts and art forms that they have delivered are quite alike.

Traditional Chinese paintings always think highly of "imago" and regard the creation of a "metaphysical artistic world" as the highest spiritual value. The passion for Daoism, Buddhism as well as Confucianism runs through the history of traditional Chinese painting. We can still taste such influence from the culture in this exhibition.

It is our absolute pleasure and honour to organize such an exhibition and we do hope that we have described some parts of Chinese contemporary art form and spirit and communicated this to you kind people in South Africa.  

                                                                                                                                        Cai Guangbin, 14 March 2009, Shanghai, China

 

 

   

Past Exhibitions

Eyes of Mozamibiqe:  a photographic exhibition by Antonio-Henrique Silva

2 April 2009 to 24 April 2009
Alliance Francaise Pretoria
99 River Street, corner de Kock
Sunnyside
Pretoria

Contact:  Maguelone Orliange Ladsous 012 343 6563

7 May 2009 to 28 May 2009
North West University Art Gallery
Potchefstroom Campus
Potchefstroom

Contact:  Christina Naurattel 018 299 4341

Born in Angola, António-Henrique Silva is a Portuguese photographer living now in Maputo.  He started shooting for cinema and publicity in the early 70’s.  He made commercial photography for exhibitions and fairs and in 1975 he participated in the creation of TPA, the Angolan National Television.  He was a war reporter, cameraman and image editor. He directed documentaries and was correspondent of Vara Television (Holland).  Later he was a photojournalist in Portugal, with works about theatre and dance, as well as tourism and sport.  In Mozambique he works as a free-lance photographer in collaboration with the Portuguese NGO “Médicos do Mundo”.

"Art in full bloom over the Country"

Sometimes, one has the impression that art is only practiced in cities and large centres.  Or course, this is certainly not true.  All over the country there are hundreds of working artists with exceptional talents.  Often, however, they lack opportunities to have their work exhibited and appreciated by a broader public.  Fortunately, over the past decade or two, many of the old local art societies were revived and other new ones established.  SANAVA, the umbrella body of these local societies happily decided to organize a special exhibition of selected works by members of its branches and affiliated organisations to mirror the bustling and vibrancy of the various local art scenes.

This special and very exciting exhibition was held at the Association of Arts Pretoria from 18 January 2009 to 4 February 2009 and at the North West University Gallery, Potchefstroom from 11 February 2009 to 12 March 2009.

              

“CONTEMPORARY VISIONS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA” EXHIBITION
“Contemporary Visions of Southern Africa” was a collaborative exhibition of visual art by artists from Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, hosted by the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA) and two of its associated members, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Pretoria Art Museum.  The purpose of this exhibition was to create opportunities conducive to the development of the visual arts and artists in Africa, to offer a venue where established visual artists from Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands could exhibit their  work, to interact with fellow artists and the art-loving public, and to reassess the value of being associated with national bodies in Africa that can benefit by being members of the International Association of Art (IAA), recognised by UNESCO as the major non-governmental world body for the promotion of the visual arts.

The exhibition was opened at the Pretoria Art Museum on 2 November 2007 and ran till 22 December 2007.  It may be regarded as a great success - not only did it show-case a beautiful selection of South African works of art from all Provinces, from different cultural communities, and a balanced gender composition (without any prior social engineering, except for selection on the basis of merit relating to the subject matter), but it also accommodated participation from ten of our neighbouring territories (Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Réunion, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
 
The event was opened by Ms Grete Marstein, member of the Norwegian National Association for the Visual Arts and Executive Committee Member of the International Association of Art (IAA).  

Tribute is due to the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality for having made the facilities of the Pretoria Art Museum available for the event.   A very special word of thanks is owed to the Development Bank of Southern Africa for its financial support, and to Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), for without the seed money which had thus been provided, the exhibition would never have become a reality.   We thank the Municipality and these two institutions, as well as the Alliance Française Pretoria, which was kind enough to sponsor the music during the event (with what a beat!), provided by an excellent group from Mamelodi, the Melodi ya Tshwane Ensemble.

The exhibition was complemented during February 2008 by an exhibition, ‘Soul of Africa’, hosted by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), at its Headquarters at Midrand.

Projects

TILE-MAKING WORKSHOP, MAPUTO 
At the invitation of the Portuguese School of Mozambique, an affiliated member of SANAVA, a tile-making workshop was held at the School from 19 to 24 November 2007.   The workshop was mainly run by Gilberto Leal, Vice-President of SANAVA and Director of the Nucleus Art School in Johannesburg (incorporated in his ceramics factory), and Minette Zaaiman, well-known ceramic artist and member of Ceramics Southern Africa and of the Association of Arts Pretoria, all part of the SANAVA family.   Also in the party, as full guests of the Portuguese School, were Dirkie Offringa, former Chief Curator of the Pretoria Art Museum, her husband Gerhard, and Anton Loubser, National President of SANAVA.   The visit to Maputo included, on 23 November, celebrating the 8th anniversary of the founding of the School.

Minette Zaaiman produced an interesting report on the fun-time she had with the enthusiastic, aspiring young ceramists.   Here is an extract which should sound familiar to those who had already been introduced to this art form, and which may tempt others to try their hand at it:

“I prepared clay slabs, to be cut up in small tiles, using red earthenware, also some wedged clay (TC slab & Fine).   Had I known how much in demand clay would have been, I could have taken at least an extra 20 kg.   Furthermore, the normal stuff for any clay workshop: rolling pin, pieces of canvas, sponges, fettling knife, bisque tiles, some glazed ones, oh yes, and some colours, in the form of white slip, iron oxide powder and other oxides (never used during workshop), hardboards.

Working program: Various age groups, ranging from ten to fifteen, were sent in sessions, as class times allowed.   I had to show, demonstrate and let them do as well.   Space was limited, two smallish tables, and sometimes twenty kids at a time.   It made the ‘hands-on’ quite hectic, but I think all of them eventually had a turn, bashing, imprinting, painting, cutting tiles, piercing holes … I would start off each session by explaining about oxides: basic colour matter in glazes.   They were amazed to see that black powder could turn blue or green after being fired to the temperature required to perform the miracle.   Also interested to know that the mud they often played with would become so hard if fired, or “cooked” as someone said (too much to show and explain, too little time).   I also had to keep it simple.

The fired samples of stamp, plant, shell, bone, etc impressions also interested the kids, and they couldn’t wait to try out everything in front of them   Of all the tools the mallet was the favourite.   The slabs were hit with gusto and miraculously survived the beating.   I did try to warn that the clay shouldn’t be cut so deeply, not more than half its thickness, but the local clay did not seem to mind.   The local clay: groggy, sticky and black, fires to a deep red at 1060 degrees, much richer in colour than the TC slab at the same temperature   …….”

SAAA (earlier name of SANAVA) & SANAVA

Responsible for the selection process and/or administration of South African participation in Biennials, Triennials and international exhibitions/expositions since 1957