SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GALLERY
SUID-AFRIKAANSE NASIONALE KUNSMUSEUM
IGALARI YOBUZWE YOMZANTSI AFRIKA
An Exhibition of Works from the Permanent Collection
Moses and the Burning Bush, Johannes Maswanganyi, 1989
(Painted wood, Height: 215,2 cm)
Johannes Maswanganyi
Born: 1948, Msengi Village, near Giyani, Gauteng.
Began his career by making nyamisoro (figure-shaped medicine containers withremovable heads as stoppers), which are used by sangomas (African traditionalhealers) in their medical practices, as well as musical instruments and otherfunctional objects. After the Tributaries exhibition in Johannesburg in 1985, hismarket expanded. Now also sculpts carved figures and animals, mainly in marulaand kiaat, which are frequently painted. Subject matter for these sculptures isvaried, ranging from representations of pop stars and black businessmem toreligious depictions based on stories from the Bible. One of very few black SouthAfrican artists to have made representations of whites, particularly political personalities from the apartheid era.
Training:
Not formally trained.
Initiated into carving by his father, a carver offunctional objects such as spoons, bowls, etc.
Profile:
Maswanganyi started carving on his own in 1965.
Worked for ten months for a brickfactory in c1969 but has otherwise earned his living through carving.
Returned toMsengi to continue carving after his stint at the factory.
Solo Exhibitions:
1987: Market Gallery, Johannesburg.
1991: Sanderling Gallery, Johannesburg.
Group Exhibitions:
1985: Africana Museum in Progress, Johannesburg and the former West Germany (Tributaries).
1986: University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
(Standard Bank Foundation Collection of African Art).
1987: Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg (South African Sculptors).
Waldorf School, Sandton (Rural Craft Fair).
1988: Johannesburg Art Gallery (Vita Art Now).
FUBA (Federated Union of Black Artists) Gallery, Johannesburg.
Johannesburg Art Gallery (The Neglected Tradition).
1989: University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Ten Years of Collecting).
Johannesburg Art Gallery (Images of Wood).
1990-1992: Museum of Modern Art, Oxford and other venues in England;
South African National Gallery, Cape Town (Art from South Africa).
1991: Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg.Collections:South African National Gallery, Cape Town;
Durban Art Gallery; University of theWitwatersrand, Johannesburg;
Johannesburg Art Gallery; University of SouthAfrica, Pretoria.
