Slice of Life exhibits artist’s roots
The Slice of Life exhibition opened at the Springs Art Gallery on Saturday.
Pat Sithole, the man of the hour, is the creator of the wondrous artworks on display at the gallery.
Born and raised in KwaThema, Sithole says he found his inspiration through his late uncle, Lucas Sithole.
“My work holds memories and the conditions of my past.
“It talks about reality and represents history.”
He says he has been artistic all his life, that it was “something I was born with”.
Many of Sithole’s pieces incorporate newspaper.
Asked about the significance of this, he says: “Newspapers are a powerful force of information and carry a lot of weight within those pages.
“It’s an important part of history and of people’s lives.
“My paintings are all memories, a way to always remember your roots and never forget who you are or where you come from.”
The Slice of Life exhibition features 20 of Sithole’s pieces, ranging from as early as 2011 through 2017.
Sithole uses soft pastel on canvas and paper to reflect his own individual style.
“I am captivated by the vibrancy and brilliance of colours and light.
“When I look at old, broken objects, I see pain, suffering and poverty imposed by one on another human being, but when I look at new objects full of life, I see new dispensation.
“I bring old objects to life in my work, using colours that enable us to learn and heal from the wounds of the past.”
His work is included in the collections of one of the ‘big four’ banks, the Ekurhuleni Metro and many other public and private collections.
The exhibition will run until noon on December 22.
