Master’s Student Exhibits Work of Late Artist

Master’s Student Exhibits Work of Late Artist

UKZN School of Arts student, Mr Sfundo Cele was recently part of a sculptural show presenting some of the work of the late artist, Mr Bonginkosi Michael Gasa, as part of his master’s study.

Held at the Jack Heath Art Gallery, the exhibition was part of a documentary film and digital archive of Gasa’s work and served to preserve his creativity. Cele focused on documenting Gasa’s development as an artist, mainly researching, photographing, and filming the work that the late artist privately owns as well as some of his gallery collections.

Speaking about Gasa’s contribution to the prestigious Jabulisa: The Art of KwaZulu-Natal, a travelling exhibition that features the artistic output of the province, Cele said, ‘Gasa began by peddling his carvings throughout the Valley of 1000 Hills tourism circuit in KwaZulu-Natal before hosting his One-Man Carving exhibition at venues like the Tatham [Art Gallery] in Pietermaritzburg.’

In a bid to uncover facts about Gasa, Cele conducted an interview with Mr Peter Stewart – who is considered one of his (Gasa’s) biggest supporters through his artistic development and worked closely with him for over 15 years.

Said Stewart during the interview, ‘When I met him, he already had an assortment of masks and a menagerie of snakes, birds, and imaginary creatures. Although, many were crude copies of carved curios from around the world that he happened to encounter; others were astonishingly original, and a few comparatively well finished.’ He added, ‘Gasa decided to start carving after encountering the first wave of Zimbabwean craftsmen who came to South Africa to sell their wood and soapstone carvings.’

According to Cele, this project’s development has been an up-and-down adventure, nevertheless, a much-needed learning experience. ‘I want to use my art to illustrate how important it is to share South Africans’ stories and to do so in a way that makes me proud,’ he said.

Words: Sinoyolo Mahlasela

Photographs: Supplied