Ndoda's Profile: October 2011

Sunday, 16 October 2011

NDODA'S PROFILE

Ndoda Mnguni was born on the 29^th September 1969 in Vosloorus, South Africa, and grew up in KwaZulu-Natal where he attended both Primary and High Schools. He obtained a BA degree (1991), Higher Diploma in Education (1992) and MA degree in Social Policy (2006) from University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. As arts and culture educator as well as founder of Lethithemba Skills Development Organization, he is involved in promoting art and environmental education in Township Schools. Through his involvement in community projects he was nominated Overall Winner of the 2002 Mayor’s Award for Excellence on Wealth and Job Creation Category.

He has written three books, of which two focus on how art might be integrated in other areas of learning such as Life Orientation. The books are entitled: Art and Life Orientation: Making Creative Connections (ISBN-978-0-620-40052-7) and Making Creative Connection: The meaning behind art (ISBN-978-0-620-40054-1). The books are illustrated with exciting paintings and drawings by learners. Other one: The value of Arts Partnerships in Schools: The case of Arleys and Lethithemba organisations (ISBN-978-0-620-40053-4) provides case studies of the value of art partnerships. And the other book: Painting Emotional Pains Away: A search for Inner Peace. The book was first and foremost prompted and inspired by his personal experience discovering how, in the process of art making, art can play an important therapeutic role in ones life. The book is not only a collection of his paintings, but it offers a glimpse of his journey towards self-healing. His wish is to have the books distributed, particularly, to libraries and community-based organisations. For him, community service is of paramount importance. He strongly believes in sharing information on all aspects that make a better society.

He has also partnered with Musa Zulu, the Creative Director of Valhalla Arts in teaching art amongst challenged children; Ekuthuthukeni Special School is one example where art teaching culminated into an exhibition that was held at Umlazi Cinema Hall in October 2009.

Friday, 14 October 2011

NDODA'S PAINTINGS

Artist’s statement

I live at Umlazi Township and work at Swelihle High School which is in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. As full-time art educator, I paint in my spare time. I’m self-taught painter, mainly painting my own interpretation of idealised or abstract landscapes using mixed media such as acrylic on masonite or canvas, river sand as well as hair extensions to represent nature. I have also used unusual materials such as hair extensions in some of my paintings. While hair extensions are soft and silky, they create rough but beautiful texture when pasted and painted onto the canvas. I don’t strive to represent recognisable landscapes, rather to create my own world. I’m inspired by the beauty of nature, especially massiveness and beauty of the sky. Interestingly, there aren’t any people or animals in my landscapes. It’s a kind of dream world.

Since it’s my ambition to discover a new colour, I love to play around with various colours, thus breaking the rules somewhat to fulfill my desire. I use bright colours as a means of artistic expression emphasising its decorative or emotional effect. I also use colour as a means of capturing my fantasies. At the end of the day I find painting elevating my spirit. For the viewers of my paintings, I hope they also get elevated or even create their own poems to the paintings.

SCHOOLS-BASED ART PROJECT

The following pictures take a snapshot of art lessons that were conducted by Lethithemba Skills Development Organisation’s teaching artist among learners of Ekuthuthukeni Special School, Mgijimi Primary and Umzomuhle Primary School. Art lessons involved a group of twenty learners from different grades as well as arts and culture educators. The project culminated into an exhibition.