Dumile Feni: A retrospective exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery
by Jacqui Brener
The monumental Dumile Feni (1942 - 1991) retrospective currently on show at the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG), is not only a showcase of a powerful, yet sensitive and expressive artist, but also a story of the difficulties of black South Africans under the apartheid regime. It is a timely reminder of a forgotten talent, and contributes to a revisionist and diaspora-based awareness of local art history.
The apartheid security forces threatened Dumile with relocation to a so-called 'homeland' shortly after he first achieved success and acclaim as an artist in the mid-1960s. These 'homelands' were agriculturally barren pieces of government-designated land, situated far from established cities and deemed officially appropriate for black people. They were barely habitable.
The authorities disliked the attention Dumile gave to African figures, and resented the attacks on apartheid that emerged in the titles of his works as well as the fact that he was an active sympathiser of the African National Congress. After being in and out of prison and often in hiding, a frustrated Dumile left the country in 1968. Dumile was only in South Africa during 20 years of official apartheid, yet it continued to impact on his life and work after his exile. Dumile remained deeply affected by the human aberration of apartheid. He depicts human catastrophe and sadness, embodying defiance of the spirit.
He lived a frugal existence, moving from country to country, never truly finding a place to call 'home'. He died of a heart attack in 1991, just before he was due to return to South Africa. He never saw liberation in his home country, in quest of which he had based much of his life's work.
Exhibition curator Prince Dube made an effort to place Dumile and his work in historical perspective, and the retrospective attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of Dumile. Divided into five sections, each reflecting on different stages in Dumile's life, the exhibition shows his works before exile, works made in London and America, erotica and pieces already owned by the JAG. In addition, other installations offer insight into the artist as an individual. Videos of various interviews, two of Dumile's films, a series of photographs of the artist with friends and a record cover design are included. The arrangement of the material, however, is a little lacking in clarity and not self-explanatory.
The extensive collection of work on show provides comprehensive insight into the life and talent of Dumile. It is important in a retrospective to incorporate works that flesh out as many sides to the artist as possible, from as many different sources as possible, especially considering that most of the works have never been seen in South Africa before. Dube's research for this exhibition took him all over the world, and many of the works on show are on loan from international collections.
The sheer size of the exhibition, consequently, is overwhelming - possibly because of the varying quality of the works. For this reason, it seems impractical to honour the concept 'retrospective' to the letter, when it results in an exhibition on such a large scale, but of uneven quality. Had a more refined selection of works been shown, the exhibition would have had a greater impact.
Much of Dumile's work is characterised by beautifully abstracted drawings of the human figure. His paintings and sculptures portray emotional abstract realities like pain, sorrow and anger. Dumile expressed his frustration and despair at the deprived lives of the downtrodden. He was concerned with the dignity and humanity of people, during a time when most other artists involved in the political struggle were using a more violent approach. The humility of his materials, often no more than ball point pen on the back of an old envelope or the side of a cardboard box, and his economy of line, attest to his artistic ability.
This retrospective aims to bring the work of this gifted South African artist to the attention of the nation. Organising such an exhibition was clearly very complex and the effort has paid off resulting in an exhibition is definitely worth visiting. It is important to reiterate the importance of artists who went into exile and were largely forgotten by the rest of South Africa. It is equally important that Dumile be recognised as only one of many South African artists whose work is an essential part of our history.
What Steven Sack, Gauteng's provincial director of Arts, Culture and Heritage, referred to in the Dumile press launch as 'Dumile Fever' is bound to catch on like wild fire. The huge turnout at the official opening bore testimony to this.
Closes: April 10
Johannesburg Art Gallery
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