Mbongeni Buthelezi’s launches first national touring exhibition in Tshwane

The Seippel Gallery, in association with the Pretoria Art Museum, will launch Mbongeni Buthelezi's first national touring exhibition on Wednesday, 13 May 2009 in Arcadia.

The exhibition will be opened by Sandile Ngidi, editor of Baobab South African Journal of New Writings and is expected to close in Tshwane on Sunday, 16 August 2009.

On show will be black-and-white portraits, colourful works from the series Childhood, sepia paintings from the Winter in Kliptown series, and an overview of Buthelezi's latest plastic paintings.

Buthelezi has moved on from the style of his earlier paintings and aquarelle drawings to a unique figurative technique which produces works that resemble sculpted reliefs and abstract forms. The artist works in full colour, black and white or sepia, or a combination of these.

His most recent works oscillate between the abstract and figurative styles, and his subject is often the daily life experiences of South Africans. Children, music and township life are Mbongeni Buthelezi's favourite artistic themes.

From the Pretoria Art Museum the exhibition will move to the Sasol Museum in Stellenbosch, the Oliewenhuis Museum in Bloemfontein, the Red Location Museum in Port Elizabeth and other venues. The exhibition is expected to be on tour until 2011.

Buthelezi's poignant works are captured in a full-colour catalogue, which will be available at the exhibitions. In addition, educational workshops will be presented at the museums for students and the general public.

The museum opens Tuesdays to Sundays from 10h00 to 17h00.

For further information:
Call Seippel Gallery on 011 404 1421 or Hannelie du Plessis at the Pretoria Art Museum on 012 344 1807.

Website information:
Pretoria Art Museum
Seippel Gallery | Mbongeni Buthelezi