LISWATI ARTIST SHINES

MBABANE - Cream of the crop! The above statement, which simply means the best of the best, applied to Eswatini-born fine and sculpture artist Nandipha Mntambo, who was listed under ‘South Africa’s 10 young artists and where to find them’.

She was listed in a renowned site known as Culture Trip, which explores a global start-up operating in travel, media and entertainment.
The site creates stories that reveal what is unique and special about a place, its people and its culture.

Mntambo, a Master’s holder in Fine Art, was listed in no order among other nine artists who hail from South Africa.
According to the copyrights of Culture Trip, the listing was done this year.
Mntambo was then described to have exhibited extensively in South Africa and internationally.

“Her sculptural works had captured the imagination of audiences worldwide,” read the site.
Her work was described to have personal ideas of history, heritage and culture.

This is not the first time for Mntambo to be recognised, as she won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Art in 2011. After that win, she has had seven solo shows at Stevenson Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa and two at Andréhn-Schiptjenko, Stockholm in Sweden.

Efforts to get comment from Mntambo proved to be futile. However, Eswatini renowned fine and sculpture artist Khulekani Msweli, who is also a well-travelled artist, confessed to know the Eswatini talent who has been hoisting the Eswatini flag in South Africa and beyond.
“I know Nandipha. She is very talented and does amazing work,” said Msweli.

Also, getting comment from Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stanley Dlamini proved futile by the time we went on print.
However, in an interview about Msweli’s exhibition in Italy, Dlamini told the Entertainment Desk that the entity was happy that local artists were breaking new ground.

“We are about placing artists in new spaces and audiences, ensuring that they become attractive to professional transactions,” said Dlamini.
Mntambo is not the first Eswatini-born artist to have gained recognition outside the country. Most recently, Msweli was approved for an Arts Residency and Exhibition in Italy.
Last year, Banele Khoza, a liSwati fine artist from Hlatikhulu, exhibited his work in Paris, France. Khoza has also opened an art gallery in Cape Town.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: