Biko centre honours black artists
THE Steve Biko Centre in Ginsburg, King William’s Town, hosted an art exhibition on Friday evening to celebrate the centenary of the University of Fort Hare and honour the role black artists have played in South Africa over the years.
The exhibition, titled “100 Years: University of Fort Hare Print Exchange and Exhibition”, traces the history of black artists in South Africa, and pays homage to the foundation they have laid for the development of art in the country.
The brainchild of wellknown artist and curator Thando Mama, the collection honours artists such as George Pemba, Dumile Feni, Lefifi Tladi, and many others, whose works form part of The Contemporary South African Black Art Collection at the University of Fort Hare.
Mama, a product of the Eastern Cape, has made significant strides in the arts and culture field in South Africa. He uses art to explore the social and political themes of the past, present and future of the country.
For this exhibition, Mama worked with art students from the University of Fort Hare, Walter Sisulu University as well as Rhodes University. The artists revisited the works of artists in the Black Art Collection and recreated them to give newer perspectives.
Mama said the main aim of the exhibition was to celebrate the artwork collections housed at the university, the biggest in the country.
“As part of the centenary celebrations, this project was conceptualised to celebrate the works that are at the university. Through it, we decided to look at what we have and reimagine it. Art stood still at the university after 1992, and this was an opportunity for artists to revisit old works, draw inspiration from them and link their younger selves with the old artists.”
South African artist, art historian, writer and lecturer Thembinkosi Goniwe, who was also involved in the production of the work, said: “This is a ground-breaking project. Through it, Thando engaged with the most important art collections in the country, and extended it to give it newer meaning. Visual arts remain underdeveloped in the country, and I’m hoping that a project of this nature could be developed into something bigger, to keep the arts alive.”
Celebrating its 100th year, the University of Fort Hare holds a special place in the history of the African continent. It is the only university that opened its doors to black students in the 1970s, marking its place as the centre of education amid the socio political landscape of the time.
The fine art department also played a significant role in art education for black students.
Fort Hare deputy vice-chancellor for academic affairs Professor Larry Obi described the evening as a momentous occasion for the university. —