Makamo’s painting graces Times mag
Local artist bowls over US and Oprah
A painting by celebrated artist Nelson Makamo, who hails from Modimolle in Limpopo but is now based in Johannesburg, has made the cover of the prestigious US weekly news magazine Time.
The special issue, dedicated to the art of optimism, was guest-edited by American filmmaker Ava Duvernay – renowned for directing Selma and A Wrinkle in Time.
Makamo has had exhibition all over the globe – from Paris to Italy and the UK.
In Duvernay’s editor’s letter for the issue, she writes: “In the issue, we celebrate and suggest ways that one can find inspiration in our present moment through the work of artists who carve a path for us all.
“Whether a filmmaker or a photographer, an author or an actress, a poet or a painter, these pages are filled with people who use art as a weapon for dynamic optimism.”
Reacting to the cover yesterday, Makamo took to social media and simply wrote: “Visions of a limitless future.”
In December when Oprah Winfrey was in South Africa, she revealed that she was a huge fan of Makamo’s work and even visited his studio.
“Just met this wonderful South African artist Nelson Makamo and did some artshopping. This painting called ‘Naledi’ (star) reminded me of my younger self,” said Winfrey, who captioned a picture of them together on Instagram.