Trent Read
Velaphi Mzimba paints portraits, figures, abstracts, street scenes, township life and he also sculpts in bronze. His colourful paintings reflect the vibrance and rapidly evolving environment of South Africa’s black townships. Although he was deeply involved in the struggle for liberation against apartheid, his work shows no hint of angst or pain. Instead, his paintings have an infectious optimism that warms all viewers. This richness of spirit combined with an extraordinary technical virtuosity has no doubt led to the success that he has experienced over the last few years.
Mzimba’s huge faces, young boys with heads made out of squashed cans and complex mixed media landscapes grace many public, corporate and private collections worldwide. This success is not built upon clever marketing or the vagaries of fashion. Mzimba’s work constantly surprises and challenges his followers. Huge brooding and richly painted portraits of proud tribesmen and women are painstakingly painted in his studio. These monumental works which drain his energies are interspersed with impish, playful works that are often created from a myriad of seemingly unconnected found objects. Somehow, in Mzimba’s hands, they are joined together to form intelligent and wonderfully decorative comments on everyday life in South Africa.
To view more of these fine artworks visit: http://finearts.co.za/artists/velaphi-mzimba.html
