along with (not in order) Mandela, Nadine Gordimar, Alan Paton, Helen Suzman, Bishop Tutu, Bronwen Findlay, Mark Shuttleworth, Tito Mboweni, Trevor Manuel, and a lot more, which I will add another time..
It is difficult to describe Jackson Hlungwani and his world - in a short space of time and writing. and to give him and his work justice.
and also in the context of sitting in an office on the 7th floor in Holborn London in 2006.
Jackson has been honored with the title of 'living treasure' by the National Arts Council - South Africa. He lives in a village called Mbokote in Limpopo. (originally part of Venda - one of the notorious 'homelands' created within South Africa under the Apartheid regime)
He is essentially a self taught artist (sculptor), and has been referred to as a charismatic leader, healer, soothsayer, shaman, eccentric. He could be described as a true outsider artist, based on some popular analogies of what an outsider artist is.. (another up for debate type of chocolate)
To put this into context. eg, it is unlikely that Jackson even had basic schooling, or that he had every been into a gallery or seen a book of art when he started carving. It is also unlikely that he even had electricity for most of his life, or that he ever left the province/homeland he lived in -
see this article for a bit of context The identity question:focus on Black South African Expressionism - in terms of identity and appropriation relating to art, culture and society in SA
There is no actual website for Jackson that I am aware of. However, this site is about as comprehensive in terms of info as I have been able to find today: http://www.mukondeni.com/html/Jackson%20Hlungwani.htm
Perhaps his most famous work, which he has since deconstructed, was called 'New Jerusalem' which was in fact an entire village built ontop of a hill, an old iron age site. described in above link. Unfortunately I''ve been unable to find any pictures of this.
Here is a sculpture of his 'Adam and the birth of Eve' 1985:
http://www.artthrob.co.za/05may/images/hlungwani01a.jpg
It is important to know about Jackson Hlungwani.
Thank you for this. I happened to have worked with uBaba Jacksonon Hlongwane while he was commissioned to build a statue. A funny man, indeed, who taught me how to make fish, as that was his subject matter. In early 2000's iI happened to have met and got a couple of lessons. He gave me a chisel and a present. I'd like to find him, the rest of his work. Thank you
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