South African Indian Artists
Zenaéca Singh is an artist whose preferred medium, sugar, may appear to be an unusual choice, but for her, sugar and its byproducts are intrinsically linked to South African Indians' heritage and history. Like most South African Indians, Singh’s forefathers came to South Africa as indentured labourers, who primary worked on the sugarcane farms of... Continue Reading →
Tayhe Munsamy is a young artist whose artworks reflect her interest in storytelling and whose practice showcases works "within the realms of speculative thinking, fiction, mythology and folklore". (tayhemunsamy.squarespace.com). She uses these narratives to explore the complexities of her identity as a 'mixed race' woman in South Africa. Her experiences as a person who is... Continue Reading →
In 1960, Centenary of Indians in South Africa (1860 - 1960), a commemorative journal that documented and celebrated the first hundred years of Indians in South Africa was published. The journal comprised 224 pages and took almost three years to compile. It was edited by Leila Pather, who, together with her husband Ronnie, would later... Continue Reading →
Shakil Solanki is a young South African Indian artist whose work - which takes the form of prints and paintings, is reminiscent of historic Persian and Hindu miniature paintings, featuring similar decorative borders, rich colours and intricate details. Closer examination of his subject matter reveals a contemporary engagement with themes of gender politics, identity, and... Continue Reading →
Kiveshan Thumbiran is a young artist whose artworks reflect his concerns with issues of identity especially as it relates to Indians and their sense of belonging within a South African society. He believes that his work, which draws on Hindu culture and folklore, serves as an invitation for others to engage with the culture of... Continue Reading →
The Birthday Party II (above) is the painting that helped young artist Ravelle Pillay win first prize in the Emerging Painting Invitational competition this year. Pillay works primarily with drawing and painting, exploring themes around family, migration, nostalgia, and memory. Although oil painting is a traditional medium, Pillay has developed a contemporary 'language' within it,... Continue Reading →
Alka Dass takes barely remembered photographs from old family albums and breathes new life into them, turning them into works of art. In doing so she creates a sense of nostalgia for our past as South African Indians; making us remember things like picnics with extended family; road trips with aunts and cousins; and the... Continue Reading →
In this post I look inside the February/March 1973 issue of The 1860 Settler magazine. The cover features Rajesh Khanna, the Bollywood heart-throb of the day, and his co-star Asha Parekh. For more background on the magazine, click here INSIDE The 1860 Settler Magazine featured many adverts with local Indian celebrities. The Omo advert above... Continue Reading →
Sarojani Naidoo is a fibre artist who uses materials such as wool, fabric, acrylic paint and canvas to communicate her views about nature and spirituality. Although fibre art is a form of fine art that has its roots in old craft practices like weaving, quilting, embroidery and tapestry making, in contemporary times it is more... Continue Reading →
Hiten Bawa, an architect and artist, is passionate about both his careers. Even so, he concedes that he prefers art; that being an artist is "a part of his nature that he cannot suppress or run away from". Bawa, who is profoundly deaf and lives with bilateral cochlear implants, challenges our preconceived notions about people... Continue Reading →
Curating Culture 