An artist is looking forward to celebrating Mandela Day, which he hopes will also expose his work.
Jabu Howard produces painted art products, with some using paper mache to depict prominent national personalities including liberation icons like John Dube, Albert Luthuli and Nelson Mandela, who he said is the greatest leader of all time.
He makes artwork from his residence on 7th Avenue, where his finished products are stacked carefully in a small storeroom to minimise damage, which he says doesn’t happen often because they depict eminent personalities who should be handled with utmost care.
“I am hoping to get an opportunity on Mandela Day to display my work to the public, especially for children to see and remember this great leader whose priority was children’s welfare ahead of all other things. They should be helped to remember his image as a role model and to learn to emulate his deeds from an early age so that they can internalise good things in their behaviour,” he said
Howard, who has been at the premises since 1989, said he started making artwork 18 years ago to communicate his feelings and found it to be a useful de-stressing tool at a time of political upheaval.
He now uses it for the same purpose with children.
“Our children lack space and facilities where they can express and keep themselves busy and away from bad influences after school. Art is not threatening, stimulates their cognitive development and keeps them mentally busy after school, [and] on weekends.”
Howard added that he engaged only with children who want to learn how to make art out of paper that is dumped in the area; in the process they would also be helping to clean up the township.
Howard added that he wanted to set up music and sports workshops as a platform where children could be guided to change their attitudes and be assisted to contribute to making South Africa a better place.
