Mbongeni Buthelezi

Listings(s)

'maNyauzu - Silent Messages to my Mother'

Mbongeni Buthelezi at Johannesburg Art Gallery

King of the plastic bag collage, Mbongeni Buthelezi shows a mid-career retrospective under the title of 'maNyauza - Silent Messages to my Mother' at the JAG. Buthelezi's chosen medium is the humble plastic shopping bag, which he melts and collages to build his pictures. The hype machine argues that this allows Buthelezi's work to participate in debates about conservation, although in reality he contributes but a superficial commentary on consumer society. Expect instead conservative imagery (sentimental portraits, township scenes) rendered in an essentially gimmicky style. The show is to be opened on 4 September by Bart Dorrestein, CEO of Legacy Hotels and Resorts, a corporate with a substantial collection of Buthelezi's work.

04 September 2011 - 31 January 2012