South African Indian Artists
Reshma Chhiba is a visual artist and an accomplished Bharata Natyam dancer who finds creative expression in both artforms. Visitors entering the FNB Slow Lounge at King Shaka Airport in Durban may recognise Chhiba's photographic work Kali Tandava hung in the entrance. She is also the Creative Director of the Sarvavidya Natyaalaya, an organisation that teaches... Continue Reading →
Andrew Nair is an artist whose ability to create incredibly detailed photo-realistic images using a humble pencil is remarkable, as is evident in the featured drawing above titled Home Alone. Nair has exhibited his work in many exhibitions and his drawings are part of several collections, including that of the Tatham Gallery and Durban Art... Continue Reading →
Usha Seejarim is probably best known as the artist who created the 2 m high, beaded portrait of Nelson Mandela which formed the backdrop to his state funeral in 2013. One of the most visible South African Indian artists, she creates multimedia works and is responsible for curating exhibitions, holding workshops and creating large scale public... Continue Reading →
Faiza Galdhari is a printmaker whose works examine the traditional roles and identities of women. Although she is no longer a practising artist, her thought-provoking works are a part of our art heritage as evidenced by the fact that she is the only Indian woman artist included in the visual arts syllabus in South African... Continue Reading →
Kiren Thathiah is an artist whose work reflects the complex nature of identity and culture for Indian South Africans especially those who grew up during apartheid. He has participated in many exhibitions both locally and internationally. Two of his art works (discussed below) are held at the Durban Art Gallery while the painting Who Calls is... Continue Reading →
His Story Vedant Nanackchand was born in 1955 in Durban. He was one of the early groups of students who studied Fine Art at University of Durban-Westville (UDW) and graduated in 1978 with an Honours Degree. In 1979 after being awarded a British Council Scholarship, he studied Art and Design at the Middlesex Polytechnic in... Continue Reading →
Her Story Lalitha Jawahirilall was born in 1954 in Ladysmith in Natal. When she was around 11, the Group Areas Act forced her family to move into an Indian township near the hills. Although Jawahirilall never studied art at school, she was always drawing portraits of her family and images from nature. She studied nursing... Continue Reading →
Her Story One of the earliest known Indian women to receive critical acclaim as an artist in South Africa was Zainab Reddy. (pictured above) Zainab Madarasawalla, was born in Poona in India and studied art at the University of Mumbai. While studying she met Dennis Reddy, a medical student from South Africa. They married and... Continue Reading →
THE PILLAY BROTHERS Since creativity is an innate ability, the lack of formal learning did not mean that there were no Indian artists in the early days.The twin brothers Lutchman and Ramsamy Pillay- probably born in the early1900’s to parents indentured at the Muckle Neuk Sugar Estate, were self- taught artists. Lutchman was well known... Continue Reading →
Curating Culture 