Botha’s Hill artist hand carves his way to international exhibit

INTERNATIONALLY respected artist, Sthenjwa Luthuli from Bothas Hill is one of five KwaZulu-Natal artists who will join the 40 under 40 exhibition.

The exhibit will be a hotbed of discourse and delight that features 40 progressive artists under the age of 40.

The 30-year-old Luthuli, whose work is held in major public and private collections, primarily produces wooden reliefs and woodcut prints that are notable for their meticulously hand-carved patterns. This results in imagery that reverberates with an almost supernatural energy.

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The exhibition runs at Tulbagh’s historic Twee Jonge Gezellen Estate, the home of Krone Cap Classique, until February 28 2022. It is presented by KRONE X WHATIFTHEWORLD gallery.

At nearly 3m wide by 2m high, his substantial piece, Inkaba Yami, and combines intricately hand-carved supawood and oil-based ink to create a patterned substrate upon which headless bodies float. These faceless figures in bright costumes are suspended, creating a dreamlike experience.

“The diverse works speak of new forms of expression. Participating artists hail from across the African continent, some of whom have already exhibited at museum level, while others show work for the first time in a gallery setting. Placed together, they represent a generation determined to flip the script and manifest new ways of making and being in the world,” it said on the event press statement.

The vibrant work on show denotes the bright multiculturalism of the region with its melange of surfer culture, Hindu and Zulu influences. The other KZN artists are Kylie Wentzel, Dada Khanyisa, Mia Chaplin and Callan Grecia.

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