Muziwakhe Nhlabatsi's Page

My Role

Artist, Arts Lover

My Discipline(s)

Visual Arts, Digital Arts, Culinary Arts, Design

About Me And My Work

I have been working as an illustrator, graphic designer over four decades. Also I am in a process of working further and extending, on my computer generated art work. This work currently is at a stage where it's waiting to progress to the next stage - which will involve getting it screen printed / serigraphed or lithographed.

The Artwork

The series is titled - Mantini Walanga Printed Fine Art Project is a body of art created by me, a South African fine artist, illustrator and graphic designer. The created series are of Ndebele art inspired – (taken to another global viewing level) - digital generated computer prints. The body of work has two main themes; the one series is the transformation of simple letters into a colorful artwork and the second is series of abstract prints of African animals and people.

The artwork is awesome, inspiring and colourful exploration of modern manipulation of African Creative Culture fused with global modern art

Heres a brief history of my life below:

Muziwakhe Nhlabatsi is the new direction generation of international graphic artists living in Southern Africa today. His focus is on the printed art form. His specialty is in graphic design and the printing of his work. His works are rendered mainly in silk screen-print (serigraphs) and lithographic print. Muziwakhe Nhlabatsi’s (serigraphs) screen-print colour exercise currently rivals any printed art technical exercise in the 21 century period. In a field of colour triangles and a series of repeated abstract profiles constructed from colour, he explores permutations of colour overlays to document the transparencies of hue that is obtained in this medium.

After completing his studies at Rorke’s Drift, this multi-talented artist took an interest within the Graphic Design industry. Mzwakhe found his first real job as a make-up artist for mannequins at a shop window display store in Johannesburg, This brief encounter lead him into the Fashion Design field – prompting him to study fashion design at the Archie Leggat Academy. At the academy he progressed so quickly that by 1979 he won a major UTA Airways Fashion design Competition earning himself a trip to France to study fashion design.

From fashion he moved into the Graphic Design field doing illustrations, layout and artwork of protest posters and magazines for political organisations. Muziwakhe found his home in this field and went on to work for SACHED Books (South African Council for Higher Education), a children’s literature and education foundation, Maskew Miller Longman and the Gauteng Provincial Government.

He still however has a passion for Graphics, Fine Art and has left secure employment with the Provincial Government in order to follow his spiritual calling and venture into the field of fine arts once again.

Places I Would Like To Visit

I would like to go to Canada, America, Europe, China, Japan and Australia to engage an exchange creatively and culturally with the artists and art lovers there. This I am hoping will be initiated at the end the year 2010 - after networking first through Creative Culture and other sources of communication

Art Forms And Cultures I Would Like To Engage With

My dream collaboration is to connect or work with artists or people involved in screen printing. To share ideas on how produce the editions - at reasonable cost. Also to organize or connect with people that can exhibit the work in progress. Further to work on or with other artists and writers on new world art

My Creative Influences & Favorite Artists

I am influenced by these artist: Durant Sihlali, Dan Rakgoathe, Fikile Magadlela, Winston Saoli, Ben Macala, Pat Mautloa, Andy Warhal, Jacob Lawrence, Sililo Abraham Maseko, Percy Sedumedi, Sydney Khumalo, Ephraim Ngatane, George Pemba, Gerald Sekoto, Sam Nhlengethwa, Dumsane Mabaso, Enoch Tshabalala