State of the art women
Art Eye Gallery, a predominantly black female-owned company in Joburg’s New Doornfontein, is a platform dedicated to the showcasing of visual expression and the development of up-and-coming talent. Gallery co-director Sanele Manqele, 31, speaks on the con
SANELE manqele Describe the vision and purpose of the art eye Gallery?
Art Eye resides its ethos in creating platforms for emerging and established artists by actively generating exposure and creating new methods to sustain visual art careers. By breaking down the divide between audience and artist, we allow for the production to be a part of the gallery experience and encourage our audience into conversations about the work with the creator.
What Goes into putting together an exhibition?
The process of conceptualising an exhibition involves the careful consideration of commercial economy, but more importantly, the artist’s intention for the body of work they are presenting. We have the luxury of having many of our artists working in our building, so we’re able to observe and even participate in their process of making their artwork. We prioritise our full understanding of the artist’s story in order to keep story telling sincere and authentic.
What are some of the elements you look out for in art and artists?
We look for artwork that is brave and original. Our artistic sensibility doesn’t have a specific formation, but we rather select work based on its integrity, skill and novelty. We have created a reputation for selecting very expressive, colourful and vibrant pieces of art.
What Do you perceive for the future of female artists?
I believe that our industry has the potential to grow and sustain itself through exposure and education. Female artists are less bound by the confines of society, and the industry is looking more critically at including more diverse narratives. Wider perceptions about where people belong in the industry are constantly being debunked by trailblazing black women. The role of women in the visual arts industry is multifaceted. The role women hold in curatorial and administrative positions are also paramount in the visibility of female artists.
What Would you advise to those Who are interested in Getting into art, but feel intimidated by their lack of knowledge?
Just start. Go to exhibitions, follow other artists on Instagram, ask questions, read books. There is no way to acquire all the information you may need, but a little information will inspire you to get more. Find spaces and people you like, and don’t shy away from asking questions. Now is an opportune time for audiences to engage with art without the pressures of intellectual elitism.
What role Does art play in society?
We’re so consumed in our individual realities, trying to find our own places in this world. While establishing our place, conversations and exchanges layer meaningful insights with those different to you. Contemporary South African artists use their own narratives as subject matters for their works, encouraging us to share and collaborate. Art seems to transcend its regular use as a commercial commodity, and exists as a signifier of the space and time we live in. The pieces express what it means to live in SA today. ➻
PHUMZILE BUTHELEZI how DID you Discover your talent, and DID you always Want to be an ar tist?
I’ve always been into drawing from a young age, but I only started taking it seriously when I won the third prize in a school competition at seven years old. I learnt crocheting and embroidery, and would make blankets for my dolls. I was always working on a mini project, but growing up during the apartheid era, no one encouraged me to pursue it further, as it wasn’t seen as a viable means of income. I started up again in my late 20s, and by then, I was a wife and mother.
how DID your parents inspire you as a creative?
My father was a handyman who built ceilings and cupboards, but he could also fix his car and a lot of other things around the house. My mother was a dress sample maker at a factory, and would make clothes from curtains and bedspreads from scrap material from work. I think all of this got engraved in my mind. Whenever I come across a new and uncut fabric, I seem to mess it up, but if you give me scraps, the creative juices will start flowing and I’ll create a masterpiece.
What message are you trying to convey With your Work, and What’s your creative process?
I’m fascinated by found objects and I’m big on recycling. There isn’t a particular formula or formal process I use or go through though. Sometimes I just play with an object and that’s how I get started. I want my work to say, “I am a woman, see me and not just my body. Acknowledge me, accept me as I am and respect me.”
most of your artwork focuses on Women. can you Go into more Detail about this?
I can tell you more about a woman because I am one, which means I’m talking about my own experiences. I’m documenting my story and those of other women in my era.
What has been your experience as a black Woman in your industry?
It’s difficult being a black female artist, and most women resent it. I’ve met a lot of women who are gifted, some have studied fine arts, but are not practising, instead they move into the corporate world. I’ve tried working as a debt collector, I struggled and hated every minute of it. As female artists, we have to work three times as hard to get recognition. We’re not given our due respect and attention.
Who or What inspires you?
I’m inspired by women who have broken boundaries by doing the unthinkable, women who stand their ground. Inspiration comes in different forms for me, but the biggest ones are the exceptional stories.
What’s the most Gratifying thing about What you Do?
Executing an idea, pushing the limits and transforming a simple object into an amazing masterpiece.
“I’m documenting my story and those of other women in my era.”