Professor Zakes Mda held a solo art exhibition at the launch of his new book, Wayfarers’ Hymns. The six weeks exhibition was called Mirrors and Washboard.

The solo art will be at the Viewing Room at St. Lorient Art Gallery in Brooklyn Circle and started on Saturday. Zakes Mda, who is also a writer, musical composer and painter, described his art as a collage where mirrors and washboards were used as a statement.

He added that people were free to come and take a look at the 39 paintings at the art gallery for the next coming six weeks.

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Zakes Mda’s new book titled, Wayfarers’ Hymns is infused with rhythm and melody. In his new novel, he invites you to travel from Lesotho’s mountain kingdom to the city of gold through the history of Famo. The book follows Famo, a musician, who was born in the drinking dens of migrant mineworkers in Lesotho, where the men would sing to unwind after work, accompanied by the accordion, a drum and sometimes a bass.

It talks about boy-child Kheleke, a wandering musician, and his surprising sister Moliehi.

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“Passionate and ambitious, Kheleke is a weaver of songs, and his own story is intertwined with the incredible yet true social history of the music: the Time of the Concertina and the Accordion, the wars of the famo gangs, and the battle for control of illegal mines,” said Mda.

The solo art gallery exhibition started on October 16 and will run until November 26. Viewing days are Thursdays and Fridays from 09:00 to 16:00 and Saturdays from 09:00 to 14:00.