David Koloane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Nthubu Koloane
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Koloane at the ACT Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony
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| Born | 5 June 1938 Alexandra, South Africa
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| Died | 30 June 2019 (aged 81) Johannesburg, South Africa
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| Nationality | South African |
| Education | Johannesburg Art Foundation (previously Bill Ainslie Studios) |
| Known for | Drawings, Paintings, Collages |
| Awards | PhD in art, Rhodes University |
David Nthubu Koloane (born June 5, 1938 – died June 30, 2019) was an important artist from South Africa. Through his drawings, paintings, and collages, he explored big questions about unfair politics and human rights. Many people consider Koloane to have been a very important artist and writer during the time of apartheid in South Africa.
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Life of David Koloane
David Koloane was born on June 5, 1938, in a township called Alexandra, which is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Even when he was in high school, he loved art and spent his free time creating it, especially when he wasn't working to help his family.
Early Art Training
From 1974 to 1977, Koloane took art classes at the Bill Ainslie Studios. This place later became known as the Johannesburg Art Foundation. In 1977, Koloane helped start the first art gallery in South Africa specifically for black artists. It was located in Johannesburg.
Dedication to Art and Community
As he became more dedicated to art, Koloane started teaching at a high school in a township. First, it was a part-time job, but then he taught full-time. In the years that followed, Koloane stayed very active and committed to the art world.
- In 1982, he helped organize the Culture and Resistance Arts Festival in Botswana.
- From 1986 to 1988, he was the curator (which means he managed the art and exhibitions) at the Fuba Art Gallery in Johannesburg.
- In 1990, he helped organize and curate the Zabalaza Festivals in London, England.
Koloane also studied at the University of London from 1984 to 1985. There, he earned a special diploma in museology, which is the study of how museums work.
International Workshops and Bag Factory
In 1989, he took part in the Pachipamwe II Workshop. This workshop was held at Cyrene Mission outside Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He worked alongside many famous artists like Joram Mariga and Sokari Douglas Camp.
In 1991, Koloane created an artist residency called Bag Factory with a collector named Robert Loder. This was special because it was in an area that wasn't strictly separated by race during the Apartheid era. Artists like Sam Nhlengethwa and Kagiso Patrick Mautloa were the first to live and work there. Many other well-known artists, including William Kentridge and Penny Siopis, also stayed there.
Worldwide Collections
David Koloane's artworks are now part of many important collections around the world. These include:
- The Johannesburg Art Gallery
- The Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) of Jean Pigozzi
- The South African National Gallery in Cape Town
- The Botswana National Museum
David Koloane's Art Philosophy
David Koloane worked in many different areas of art. As an artist, he always made sure his work was connected to important social issues of the time. He also wrote for various art catalogues, organized exhibitions, and served on many judging panels, including for the National Arts Council. He published many articles both in South Africa and in other countries.
In 1998, Koloane received a special Prince Claus Award. This award honored him for his important contributions to the growth of art in South Africa.
He once said about his own art: "My concern in socio-political matters and contributions to the furtherance of disadvantaged black South African artists during and after the apartheid era is evident. My work can be said to reflect the socio-political landscape of South Africa both past and present. The socio political conditions created by the apartheid system of government have to a large extent transfixed the human condition as the axis around which my work evolves. The human figure has become the icon of creative expression".
In simpler words, Koloane explained that his art showed the social and political situation in South Africa, both during and after apartheid. He focused on how people were affected by the apartheid system. He often used the human figure in his art to express these ideas.
Exhibitions (selection)
David Koloane's art was shown in many exhibitions around the world. Here are some of them:
- 1977 Nedbank Gallery Killarney, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1977 The Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1978 Black Expo ‘78, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1979 Gallery 101, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1979 Bill Ainslie Studios, Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1982 Art towards social development, National Gallery and Museum, Gaborone, Botswana
- 1984 Stockwell Studio exhibition, London, UK
- 1985 Gallery 198, London, UK
- 1985 Fuba Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1986 Historical perspective of Black South African artists French Alliance, Pretoria, South Africa
- 1987 Portraits: UNISA Art Gallery, Pretoria, South Africa
- 1987 Contemporary Black artists Academy Art Gallery, Paris, France
- 1988 Pachipamwe international artists workshop Zimbabwe National Gallery Harare, Zimbabwe
- 1989 The Neglected Tradition Exhibition, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1989 African encounter, Dome Gallery, New York City
- 1990 Art from South Africa Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, UK
- 1990 South African Mural Exhibition, I.C.A. Gallery London, UK
- 1990 Gallery on the Market, with Michael Zondi, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1999/2000 Galerie Seippel, Cologne, Germany, Global Art - South African Contemporary Art (group)
- 2000 Liberated Voices Exhibition, Museum of African Art, New York City
- 2001 Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2002 Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2002 Kunstraum Sylt-Quelle, Rantum/Sylt, Germany, Tracing the Rainbow (group)
- 2002 Galerie Seippel, Cologne, Germany, Johannesburg Blues
- 2003 Galerie Seippel, Cologne, Germany, Tracing the Rainbow (group)
- 2003 Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2004 "The ID of South African Artists", Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 2004 Museum Bochum Deutschland, New Identities (group)
- 2008 Museum Goch, Goch, Germany, Works on Paper, hommage to David Kolane's 70th birthday
Awards
- 2015 – Doctor of Fine Art (honoris causa), Rhodes University
See also
In Spanish: David Koloane para niños
