Animals reinforce a political statement for artist Colbert Mashile
Mashile draws from African traditions, where clans have animal totems, to produce surreal work
Depicting President Jacob Zuma in an artwork is a tricky business. It led to a court case for Brett Murray and caused a painting by Ayanda Mabulu to be censored at the Joburg Art Fair, until David Goldblatt intervened and reversed the decision. Colbert Mashile’s painting titled Truth or Dare, which is being exhibited at his eponymous show at Everard Read Cape Town, won’t cause as much of a ruckus, despite Zuma being the central protagonist and depicted as a baboon. The only tell-tale sign that he is the subject is the shower motif, which cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro aka Zapiro employed as a defining index of Zuma’s identity. Zapiro got into hot water for depicting politicians as monkeys. This hasn’t put Mashile off; he digs into his animal metaphor in this exhibition. The softly spoken and retiring artist doesn’t appear to be seeking attention, or wanting to stir things up too much. In his art and in this exhibition, he enjoys treading on the edge of truth. "I make art intuitively. ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.