South African Indian Artists
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 →
Moments before Death is an exhibition currently on until the 21 August at the Artbox Gallery in Pretoria. There are 4 artists featured in the exhibition – Will Roux, Nellien Brewer, Mia van Wyk, and Poorvi Bhana. In interpreting the theme 'moments before death', the artists examine the fragility of life and the fact that we... 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 →
Re-membering: Memory, Intimacy and Archive, an exhibition by Sharlene Khan, Reshma Chhiba and Jordache Ellapen is currently on at the Michaelis Gallery in Cape Town. Each of these artists use their personal experience to explore ideas about memory, race, class, gender and sexuality in South Africa. Sharlene Khan incorporates video-art, digital photography and needle work... Continue Reading →
Usha Seejarim in front of her installation titled HerdArtist Usha Seejarim presented an installation called Keepers of the Common at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (ICTAF) in February 2018. Seejarim uses domestic objects – clothes pegs, hangers, steam irons or brooms to create her sculptures. Triangle, sculpture with brooms. Cow Head. Hanger, iron. These everyday ‘common’ items are usually used... Continue Reading →
REFUGE Twin bothers Hasan and Husain Essop showed their work at an exhibition called Refuge at the Goodman Gallery in August 2017. The Muslim brothers who are from Cape Town used this exhibition to raise questions about what it means to be Muslim in... 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 →
Curating Culture 