Samanthole Arts Foundation

Tshikhuthula’s depiction of rural landscapes and the public space in which it is received are not simply zones of entertainment but are active productions of knowledge in rural day to day moods along with the temporal occasion to display, discuss, and debate what it means to be raised in remote areas. His charcoal drawings, wood and linocuts are lyrical, spiritual and poetic. ‘In this body of work I used various objects to depict my grandfather’s presence. For instance, the water pipe is a common feature as my grandfather used to work for a company that repaired water pump pipes. These pumps in urban standard are outdated but back home they are still in use and relied on by surrounding communities. Every time I come across an old pump, I remember my grandfather’ says Tshikhuthula.  Tshikhuthula’s prints display an ever conscious awareness of his formative surroundings in Limpopo, subtly and almost subconsciously alluding to ethnic design and symbolism. His w

On Tuesday I had another sit down session, with Mme Helen Mmakgabo Mmapula Mmankgato Sebidi, which you'd be forgiven to term it 'Afternoon Tea with Mme Mpule'. I learn so much from these kind of sessions. The focus today is not on Mamogolo Helen but on one of her teachers and mentors John Koenakeefe Mohl. Mohl was born in 1903 in Zeerust in the North Western province of South Africa and died in 1985 in Soweto.  John Koenakeefe Mohl, pic from internet.  John Koenakeefe 'Mohl' Monnyane (little one) and later  written Mohlangkana (Young man) , popularly known as Mohl was born in 1903 in Zeerust in the North Western province of South Africa. His last name was changed to the palatability of the European tongues as they always claim that African names are difficult to pronounce. John Koenakeefe Mohl was a Pioneering spirit in making a mark for the black modern visual art in South Africa and his name and contributions are often omitted, erased and deliberately

Gogo NoStokana,  Though you have heard  The doors of Western Art bang  In the wind of global art scene,  Nudging to corrupt or influence creatives At large, your soul and conviction  Felt unanchored  From yourself,  From your mother's language,  From the wisdom of your ancestors  From the land of your forebears,  From your Humanism,  Through it all, you maintained your stay  In Mpumalanga, where the sun rise I feel the patterns and colors  Of masterpieces from your primal being Many a times,  I watched you travel the world Tons of television interviews  You bring voices of your ancestors  Through your language of Ndebele alive You inspired me to secure my door of creativity with a strand of wire To stop it from banging about in the wind  Emerging in the arts, mine door has been  Banging so long I ceased to care  Until like now, I wanted to calm  So I could listen and learn  To be true to my conviction and  Authentic to my craft  All the time on the land of my ancestors,

The Letter Reader  tells an intuitive coming-of-age story shot in a remote mountain village in the magical Drakensberg - it is impossible not to enjoy the scenery of the veld, of open spaces with earth huts planted scarcely on this dusty and misty village, the simple beauties of river and mountains, the clean line of the horizon. It highlights the power of the pen and the written word through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy, Siyabonga affectionately called Siya in the film. The 30-minute film which was released in late 2018, is currently streaming on Netflix and Showmax. The drama is about a young Johannesburg boy called Siyabonga played by Bahle Mashinini, who relocates to a village in KwaZulu-Natal to live with his grandmother while his parents work through their marital problems. Many people can relate to Siya's life having to go stay with his grandmother because grandmothers played and continue to play a pivotal role in cushioning children from the traumas of failed marriages or

Today I feature on this blog arguably one of the pioneers of modernist Black South African theatre makers. Selaelo Maredi is synonymous to local and international theatre making. Maredi the actor, director, playwright, teacher movie star and mentor having been one of the founding members of Experimental Theater Workshop 71 founded in 1971 which propelled him for reaching greater heights in the global theatre industry.  I met him for the first time few years ago at the Olive Tree Theatre in Alexandra township during the opening reception of Roelf Matlala's play titled Birthday   . This was after many years of cajolement by Matlala to meet this great man because Matlala he thought we will relate, which we did as Maredi affectionately calls me Mahlo A Tau - Lion's Mane. However, I have encountered his work long before that through my friends Roelf Matlala and Moses Rasekele D who both at some point produced and directed Maredi's work. Rasekele produced and directed Maredi'

Professor Mongane Wally Serote pic by African News Agency  This is rather a difficult task and one of the first attempts to review a book for my blog, especially of a national Poet Laureate, Professor Mongane Wally Serote. I first came across his work when I was in high school through his poem called City Johannesburg . I loved this poem so much that I plagiarized it, I did with it as I pleased. Replaced Johannesburg with Phomolong which was the name of my high school. I was incredibly proud of myself. I was excited and I showed this poem together with others I wrote to my English teacher Mr. Dan Marolen. From reading just first line, Mr. Marolen remarked 'Chepape this is not your poem but that of Professor Mongane Wally Serote. I am glad he influenced you to attempt writing poetry."  Later after high school when I moved to Johannesburg to study art, I then encountered Professor Serote through interviews he conducted that were screened at Johannesburg Art Gallery w

It is rather challenging for me to put in words the appreciation and admiration of Tlokwe Sehume's music. Factually his genre is described as “Mmino wa Thaba”, or music of the mountain' which is without a doubt music that journeys you into the wild, with therapeutic melodies of mountain birds here and complete variety of sounds emitted by wild animals there. It as an ancient sound inspired by African spirituality, which denudes a connection to the African lineage and ancestors. Tlokwe Sehume visiting my studio early 2020  Speaking to a James Mahlokwane of  IOL  Sehume punctuates his genre as a genre 'deeply rooted in African spirituality and inspired by the true connection Africans have with their ancestors'. From this statement one deduces the Pan-Africanism or Black Consciousness Sehume ascribes to. Tlokwe Sehume, his daughter Mpotseng Makgopa Sehume and band members performing at Joburg Theater in 2019  Personally, Sehume's music has made